


Life Goes On

by Saber007



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series, Shin Megami Tensei Series
Genre: Curses, F/M, Multi, Other, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2018-11-21 04:54:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 60,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11350281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saber007/pseuds/Saber007
Summary: Personas? Phantom Thieves? Talking cats? How the hell was this my life! I expected to spend my probationary exile like a normal teenager, not helping my twin brother change the world.





	1. Chapter 1

I awoke to the sound of rattling chains. My eyes groggily took in the sight of my surroundings.

A cell? Why was I in a cell? I was even wearing the black and white prison garb.

"So you've come to, Inmates."

I jolted up, trying to place the stranger's voice. My movement was restrained by the shackles on my wrists and leg, but I managed to walk to the bars of the cell.

"W-What's going on?" I asked, rubbing my eyes. The scene in front of me didn't make sense.

"The you in reality is currently fast asleep. You are only experiencing this as a dream." A soft voice chimed.

Two identical little girls in blue prison outfits were standing guard in front of my cell and another. Stranger than them was the old man with an abnormally long nose, sitting at a desk and smiling like a maniac.

"H-Homura?" A familiar voice called.

"Akira?!" I responded, pushing my face against the bars to catch sight of my twin. The effort was useless, I could only see in front of the cell. Akira must have been in the adjoining cell.

Our noisiness angered one of the girls. She slammed a baton on my brother's cell, shocking the two of us into silence. "You are in the presence of our master. Stand straight!" The baton hovered threateningly over my cell next. When I didn't give a response the girl scoffed and turned around.

"Welcome." The old man greeted in his deep voice. "I am…Igor. And this is my Velvet Room. I am delighted to make your acquaintances."

Both Akira and I remained silent. The strangeness of the situation left us speechless.

"This place exits between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a 'contract' may enter." Igor continued speaking as if he wasn't expecting an answer from either of us. "I've summoned the both of you to speak about important matters. It involves your lives as well."

"Our lives?" We said at the same time like typical twins.

"Still, this is a surprise…Akira Kurusu. The state of this room reflects the state of your own heart. To think a prison would appear as such. You truly are a 'prisoner' of fate. In the near future, there is no mistake that ruin is awaiting you…"

I leaned my forehead on the bars. Everything Igor was saying made my head spin in the worst way. A headache was quickly forming.

"Ruin?" Akira held up better than me from the onslaught of information.

"I speak of the end to everything. However, there is a means to oppose such a fate. You must be 'rehabilitated' towards freedom…that is your only means to avoid ruin." Igor's too wide eyes locked on to me next. "And you must help facilitate that 'rehabilitation'." He chuckled. "Do the two of you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?"

"Wait a minute! I don't understand a thing you're talking about." I interjected.

Igor ignored my outburst. "Allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation."

The twin wardens suddenly turned around. The one with braids was impassively staring at me while the one with buns was smirking in the direction of my brother.

"Ah, pardon me for not introducing the others. To the right is Caroline, to the left is Justine. They serve as wardens here."

"Hmph, try and struggle as you like." Caroline with the buns, snorted.

"The duty of wardens is to protect inmates. We are also your collaborators…that is if you two remain obedient." Justine with the braids, stated.

"I shall explain the roles of these two at another occasion." Igor drummed his fingers on the desk. "Now then, it seems the night is waning…it is almost time. Take the time to slowly come to understand this place. We will surely meet again, eventually…" His eyes moved from one cell to another without blinking.

A loud ringing noise startled me.

"What is that?" I frantically looked for the source.

"Time's up. Now hurry up and go back to sleep, Inmates." Caroline tapped the baton on her shoulder.

Abruptly, I was overcome with fatigue and stumbled back onto the bed. My vision went black. Akira's name was on the tip of my tongue, but my mouth wouldn't move.

* * *

**Take your time**

* * *

My eyes flew open and I rolled onto my side, grasping at my pounding heart.

A dream, that had to be a dream!

"Homura." A hand landed on my shoulder. In a panic, I shoved the looming body away.

"Owwww!"

I peeked over the edge of the bed to see my brother sprawled out on the ground. He looked as sweaty and panicked as me. We weren't in a some funky prison, but our new living space in the attic of Cafe Leblanc.

"Akira, I had the craziest dream about an old man and a Velvet Room! Tell me you did too!" I gulped, swiping my curly black hair out of my eyes.

"I did too…" He sat up, twirling one of his curls around his finger. "Maybe it was just a twin thing. This wouldn't be the first time you and I had similar dreams…there's no way that could have been real."

"I-I guess…" I took a calming breath. "Y-Yeah, it must have been our nerves working against us." My heartbeat slowed down to a normal pace. "Anyway, we should get ready. Mr. Sakura will be here soon."

The time on my phone meant we had less than an hour to get ready.

"You can use the bathroom first." Akira stood up, wiping the dust off his sweats.

I retrieved my uniform from the shelf and hurried downstairs to clean up.

If the reception we received yesterday was anything to go by then this meeting was doomed to be agonizing. Mr. Sakura was downright rude to my brother and I when we arrived. A bunch of pompous school teachers were certainly going to make our lives hellish…school was gonna be a nightmare.

"The bathroom's all yours, bro." I slumped onto my bed with my legs crossed, idly humming a tune.

Akira sniggered. "Can you dress like you live in this century and not some play?"

I sent him a dirty look. The Shujin uniform was cute on its own, but I had to add my own flare. Underneath my blazer was a lace shirt that tied into a ribbon at the collar and sleeves that ended in ruffles. Black tights covered my legs and white heeled boots completed the look.

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players, dear brother." I finished with an elegant bow. My long hair fell over my shoulder. Unfortunately, I hadn't mastered the ways of my hair. Somehow, I had managed to pin most of it back with the bangs neatly combed out of my eyes.

"You're so weird, sis. Sometimes I wonder how we're related." Akira passed me with a fond pat on the head.

"You love my weirdness!" I shouted downstairs.

"Some days!" He shouted back.

I giggled. We were both weird. While Akira got dressed, I mindlessly played on my phone until an eerie app shaped like a red eyeball popped up in the middle of my screen.

"Is this a virus? I hope it isn't, I just got this phone." The app was dragged into the trash and the phone rebooted.

"Texting your boyfriend already? Let the poor guy rest. He needs a break from your constant fangirling." My brother teased.

"Shut up." I tossed a pillow across the room, hitting Akira in the face. "You're just jelly because I have a special someone and you don't."

He adjusted his glasses that he didn't need. "Technically, you don't either. A childhood crush doesn't count, especially when you two haven't seen each other for years." His grin turned smug.

"That's why they call it a long distance relationship, dummy. I wouldn't expect a novice like you to understand matters of the heart." Now seemed like a good opportunity to get back at him for his earlier comment. "Can you dress like you live in this century? There's no style or personality to your uniform."

"I'm not trying to stand out. Mom and Dad were clear about us staying out of trouble."

And just like that the mood turned depressing. Our parents had become a taboo subject for me. Unlike Akira, I hadn't taken their decision very well. I cried for hours afterwards and refused to speak to them when they told us they were sending us away. I'd never felt so betrayed before. Our own parents refused to defend us and instead chose to get rid of their children like some dirty secret. All because of that disgusting bastard!

"Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Akira's apology snapped me out of my dark thoughts.

"Looks like you brats are up." Mr. Sakura's gravelly voice interrupted the conversation. He came into the attic. I whistled as I took in his old school outfit. The man scoffed at me but I saw the tips of his ear were red. "Let's go introduce ourselves properly to the staff about the transfer. The school is in the Aoyama district. It'll cost a bit to ride the train there and the route transfers are a pain. I'll drive us there, but just for today. Let's go."

"Onwards to hell." I muttered. Akira bumped my shoulder.

"Don't be pessimistic." He chided.

"Sheesh…men aren't usually allowed in my passenger seat so you're in the back, boy." Mr. Sakura told Akira. I sniggered at Akira's mild frown. We followed after our new guardian.

* * *

**Take your time**

* * *

"Didn't I say school was going to be hell? The principal and those teachers hated us…and I can't believe they put us in different homerooms!" I complained, not looking forward to the first day. The idea of having to fend for myself in a new school wasn't appealing. I had counted on at least having my brother with me to ward off the crappy students that would no doubt hate our guts.

"It'll work out, sis. We can still have lunch together." Akira comforted me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. As always, Akira was the cool twin during the meeting. He handled the condescending adults with grace and didn't let anything get to him.

I didn't understand how he could weather it all with a smile. The whole time we were in the meeting I wanted to smack that fat principal silly. Akira's homeroom teacher was just as bad. Mine wasn't as obnoxious, Mr. Hiruta seemed alright if a little eccentric. I nearly punched Akira in the gut when he whispered that my homeroom teacher and I had similar taste in clothes since his shirt was frilly like mine.

"Damn, to think there'd be that much traffic…what a waste of time." Mr. Sakura grumbled, shutting the door and placing his hat on the bar. "I wasn't able to open the cafe today…"

Akira and I looked at each other before coming to a silent decision. We both bowed to the man. "We apologize for being an inconvenience."

Even though Mr. Sakura was abrasive, he was providing us shelter and food, that enough earned him some leeway. I didn't mind being a tad more submissive in his case.

"Whatever." He sighed. "Just head upstairs. There's something I need to give you brats."

I wondered what the mystery gift would be?

Akira and I headed upstairs to wait for Mr. Sakura. My phone buzzed right as I sat down on the couch. Once unlocked, I checked my messages and smiled when I saw the group message.

**Future Hubb** **y** **: How did the meeting go? The teachers aren't giving either of you a hard time, are they?**

"Akira check your phone." I started typing a reply to my longtime friend.

**Homura Kurusu: It was awful. :( Everyone is treating us like dirt. It's beyond aggravating! :( Worst of all, Akira and I don't even have the same homeroom teacher despite us being twins. Aren't twins supposed to be in the same class?! Stupid record, it's all your fault!**

**Future Hubby: I'm sorry to hear that, Homura. This might be out of line, but in a way I'm glad things turned out the way they did.**

**Homura Kurusu: ?**

**Big Brother: I second that.**

I glanced up at Akira. It took him forever to join the chat. The phone's buzz drew my attention back to the chat.

**Future Hubby: Well, now I have the opportunity to see both of you again. We've kept in touch through emails, texts, and calls, but that only does so much. I'm looking forward to meeting up. Perhaps we could have lunch and catch up?**

**Homura Kurusu: So am I! I'm dying to see my favorite prince. ;)**

**Big Brother: She really is. It's all she's talked about since we got here. It's almost kind of sad.**

"What's sad is how immature you are!" I sprung up and put Akira in a headlock. He flailed in my grasp. "Act your age, Akira Kurusu!"

"Says you! You're the queen of immaturity." He grunted, reaching for my sides and tickling me. Our tussling got rougher as I tried to cave in Akira's head and he tried to puncture my sides.

"Talk about a gruesome accident…eighty people were involved." Mr. Sakura strolled into our room and froze as he caught sight of us. "What are you two doing?"

"Wrestling." We answered in unison, slowly untangling from each other.

Mr. Sakura scoffed. "Should a girl your age be wrestling? How tomboyish."

I huffed. "Of course I should. How else am I supposed to fight off sexual predators?"

The barista was taken back by my blunt words. Akira shook his head.

"You had something for us, Mr. Sakura?" My brother reminded the man.

"It's a diary. I only have one so you two will have to share. Make sure both of you write in it." He dug the object out of his pocket and tossed it onto the dresser. "You brats may be under probation, but there's no special limitations on what either of you do in particular. Besides following the law, that is. However, I'm obligated to report on both of you, which is why I'm having your daily activities recorded."

"Such a cheapskate." I mumbled. Akira coughed to cover up my comment. Mr. Sakura glared and was going to let me have it, but his phone rang. He turned to take the call.

I plopped back on the couch and picked up my phone. The future hubby had replied.

**Future Hubby: Haha. You two haven't changed. How about we meet up sometime this week? My workload is pretty light and I don't think I'll be swamped with homework yet.**

**Homura Kurusu: Sure. Let us know what day works for you. Akira and I don't have jobs to schedule around.**

**Homura Kurusu: Though we should look into getting jobs. We don't exactly have parents to depend on anymore.**

**Homura Kurusu: Ignore that, I pulled an Akira. Parents are a taboo subject for you too.**

"Homura." Akira called. He was holding the diary out for me. "Anything you want to add?"

"Besides some snarky notations, not much." I accepted the diary and claimed a colored pen from my backpack.

Akira had written a dry, to-the-point summary of the day's events. Deciding to spruce it up, I began adding commentary and doodles here and there in the diary.

"Is that your phone?" I questioned. There was a ringing sound coming from somewhere.

"It's not my cell…I hear it coming from downstairs." Akira went to go investigate.

Done with the diary, I set it back on the dresser. A shower was what I needed. With my pjs in hand, I went downstairs to the bathroom and saw Akira coming back into the cafe.

"Sakura forgot to flip the sign to closed." He explained.

"Gotcha."

"Don't use all the hot water."

"Maybe I will, that'd be good payback for you being a crap older twin." I taunted, smirking at Akira, who rolled his eyes.

"Such a petty little sister you are."

I winked before entering the bathroom.

Memories of that night flooded my mind as the water hit me. That bastard wouldn't leave that woman alone and Akira couldn't walk away. Sometimes I wished my brother wasn't so kind. He had all the right intentions and yet he ended up with a record for assault. I ended up with a record for prostitution because I helped him…everyone started treating me like I was a whore after the news of our arrest got out.

"The shower's all yours, bro."

"Are you alright?" He picked up on my bad mood.

"No. I'm pissed at that bald asshole that screwed up our lives!" I laid down on my bed, snuggling into the pillow Akira had returned.

"It's alright to be angry, but don't let it consume you. Things will get better...eventually."

"As you say, oh wise one."

Akira took off his glasses and grabbed his nightwear before leaving. I took my phone off the charger and checked the message. Mom and Dad had sent me texts, reminding me to stay out of trouble and get good grades.

Like they cared. They were too busy getting divorced and lamenting on their wayward kids to give a real shit.

All the people I had thought were my friends shut me out and refused to respond to any of my texts after the incident happened. Those numbers were deleted without a second thought. When it really came down to it, I had two numbers in my contact list that mattered, my brother and my childhood friend. They were the only ones to stand by me. Speaking of my childhood friend, he'd sent me a message outside the group text.

**Future Hubby: You don't ever have to censor yourself when speaking to me. If you don't tell me what's wrong then I can't help you.**

**Future Hubby: In regards to your parents, I can't fathom how they've become such a negative part of your life. From what I recall, they were very affectionate with you and Akira and seemed happy together.**

**Future Hubby: What changed?**

I remembered those days. Mom and Dad were like the "It" couple of the neighborhood and we were their unexpected, but perfect twins…sometimes I wondered if I was the root of the problem. Mom and Dad weren't expecting twins. Akira was the one they prepared for and I just happened to come out during the delivery, surprising my parents and baffling the doctors since all the scans only showed one child.

**Homura Kurusu: I honestly don't know what caused it. One day they just started arguing and then the next day and the next day until all they did was argue. I seriously hated going home to that. Most the arguments were about work, bills, and parenting.**

**Homura Kurusu: At least now I don't have to hear them shouting and breaking things.**

I shouldn't be telling him this. The home life is supposed to be private…but this was my best friend. I told him everything.

**Future Hubby: Perhaps the space provided by your probation will cool the tensions in your family. Or at least I hope it will. It pains me to hear the two of you suffering like this.**

**Future Hubby: If you need anything at all, feel free to ask, Homura. I'll do my best to assist.**

I smiled. Leave it to the Detective Prince to cheer me up.

**Homura Kurusu: Anything?**

**Future Hubby: I have a feeling that this might backfire, but yes, anything that is within my power to do.**

**Homura Kurusu: Then I request a cute stuffed animal. ;) I'd feel a lot better if something cute were in this dusty attic.**

"You're so transparent."

I screamed in fright. Akira stood up, avoiding getting smacked and holding in his laughter.

"Stupid Akira, don't sneak up on me!"

"Either he's really oblivious or very polite. Which is worse I wonder? My brotherly instincts are confused on how to handle this infatuation of yours." I repeatedly hit Akira with the pillow. "Alright, alright. I'll leave you alone."

"Wait till you get a crush, I'm gonna tease you ten times as much." I promised. He chuckled, flicking my nose and sauntering back to his side of the room.

"We have to take the train to school so don't stay up all night texting. With all the accidents the timetables will be messed up." He flicked off the lights.

I groaned. "Can I skip school?"

Being a social outcast was an odd experience for me.

"No."

"That was too quick of an answer."

"This year will fly by and then we'll be back home. Hang in until then, sis."

"I'll try…for you, Akira."

"Good. Now go to sleep."

I pulled the blanket over my head and checked my phone one last time.

**Future Hubby: Oh, what a relief. I thought you might ask for something outrageous, like the time you insisted I go beat up another kid because he threw your shoe into the fountain.**

I had to stifle my laugh to prevent Akira from hearing.

**Future Hubby: A stuffed animal is more manageable. Did you have a preference?**

**Homura Kurusu: Surprise me with something you think suits me. ;)**

**Future Hubby: Very well. I'll steal your breath away with my selection.**

My cheeks warmed up. He really fitted the bill as "Prince Charming". Reconnecting with him would be interesting.

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

 

 

"Ugh, of all the days it could have rained it had to be today." I shuffled closer to Akira, soaking up his warmth.

The suddenness of the rain had caused the temperature to drop.

"I thought I deleted this yesterday…just what exactly is this app?" He mumbled to himself.

I leaned over to see what he was talking about, but turned as someone joined us in front of the store and nearly bumped into me.

"Hey…" My complaint died on my tongue as the girl pulled her hood off. "A foreigner?"

The girl was beautiful, on par with a model. She had pale blonde hair, teal eyes and wasn't afraid to defy conventions with her uniform. With how low her hoodie was, it was hard to tell she was even wearing a skirt.

Akira was awestruck by her looks as well. "Heh, there are beauties like this at Shujin, too."

I snickered at my brother's obvious ogling. The girl must have found his staring amusing or at least had enough manners not to chide Akira. She smiled kindly at us. Akira blushed and rapidly looked away. I returned her smile with a tentative one.

This girl wouldn't shame me like the others would she? Maybe…I could talk to her...and become friends.

A car pulled up and put a damper on my plan. The window rolled down to reveal an older man in gym wear, who zeroed in on the girl.

"Good morning. You want me to give you a ride to school? You're gonna be late."

"Um, sure. Thank you." The girl's tone indicated that she was unsure, but she got into the car.

Something about this bothered me. Why would she get into the car if she was uncomfortable? She could've said no.

But it's none of my business what she chooses to do. I can't get involved her drama, not with all the heat already on me.

"Do you two need a lift?" The man curiously looked at Akira and I.

His eyes lingered on me longer than necessary.

"Ah, no…we're fine." Akira politely turned down the man's offer.

"You sure?" The man posed the question more to me than Akira.

My eyebrow twitched.

My brother already said no, creep. Why would he think my answer would be any different? Was there a sign on my forehead that broadcasted that I was easy and would get in a car with a complete stranger?

"No thank you, sir. We're fine." I tilted my head, displaying my fake smile laced with hidden killer intent.

"Don't be late okay?"

The window rolled up and the car pulled off.

"Was it just me or was that man sketchy?"

Akira's grey eyes moved from the car to mine. "It was strange. Teachers don't normally give rides to students."

"That's one teacher I'll have to keep an eye out for."

Heavy footsteps and loud pants drew our focus.

"Shit!" A blonde boy cursed, stopping to glare in the direction of the car. "Screw that pervy teacher."

"Pervy teacher?" Akira repeated.

The boy faced us, scowling like we were the plague.

"What do you want? You planin' on rattin' me out to Kamoshida?"

"Kamoshida?"

"Huh? In that car just now. It was Kamoshida."

"So that guy's name is Kamoshida. Thanks, now I know who to avoid." The vulgar boy looked shocked to see me and did a double-take between Akira and I. "We're twins." I simplified for him.

The boy shook his head, the anger returned to his face. "Avoiding him's a smart move. Guy only ever invites girls into his car, does whatever the hell wants with them and then calls it 'career counseling' after that! Who does he think he is-the king of a castle? Don't you guys agree?"

"King of a castle?" Akira was dumfounded by the western expression.

I understood the expression from all the American shows I watched whenever Akira and I were left alone in the house. With that in mind I sarcastically asked. "Which castle?"

"Uh, no, I mean…" The boy stumbled on his words as he processed our questions. "Wait…you seriously don't know who Kamoshida is?" He looked at us and we shook our heads in sync. "Are you guys for real? You're both from Shujin, right?"

"You go to Shujin, too?" Akira asked.

His question was justifiable. The boy's outfit hardly followed regulation and was messily put together.

"Duh. No other high school's got a uniform like this." Blondie's brown eyes lowered to Akira's chest and he pointed to the badge. "That button there says you're a second-year. We're in the same grade then." He inspected mine too. "But I've never seen either of you before."

"We're transfers." I supplied.

"You don't say…no wonder you guys don't know him." The boy kicked the ground, muttering under his breath.

"He's cute for a delinquent." I shared airily with Akira.

He choked on air.

"The rain ain't too bad. We better hurry up or we'll be late. Here, I'll show you guys a shortcut." Blondie's bad mood evaporated and he grinned pleasantly.

"He's nicer than he looks." Akira told me.

We followed the vulgar/nice boy.

I heard an odd noise before a wave of dizziness hit me. It appeared I wasn't the only one affected. Akira and the boy were hunched over, holding their heads.

"Uuuugh, my head hurts for some reason…dammit…I wanna go home…" Blondie recovered and unsteadily started walking. "C'mon this way."

"What is this feeling?" My brother rubbed his forehead. I grabbed his arm to keep him from tripping over his feet. "I'm alright, sis." He smiled reassuringly.

"I don't believe that." I looped my arm through his and helped him walk.

Stupid Akira, always trying to be cool. It was okay to depend on your twin.

The boy led us through an alleyway. For some reason our footsteps sounded louder than usual…and extremely splashy. Akira glanced behind. No one was following us.

Where was the noise coming from then?

"What the?!"

Akira and I caught up to Blondie.

"This is Shujin, right?" Akira took his glasses off and cleaned them.

"If it is, it's the most exotic school I've ever seen." My mind couldn't make sense of what I was seeing so I joked about it instead.

The school looked like an eery castle straight out of a fairytale.

Was this a nightmare I was having? I must have still been asleep. I'm guessing I'm more worried about school than I thought.

I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. The pain reassured me that this was real.

Oh god.

"This place looks completely different from how it looked on the web." The glasses were back on Akira's face. As if they'd suddenly improve his vision.

"What's with the castle? We didn't…come the wrong way though…that's the same alley I go through everyday…yeah, this should be right." The boy freaked out the more he talked. He pulled his phone out. "Wha, out of service?! What's goin' on here?"

"Maybe we took a wrong turn?" Akira tried to soothe the panicked boy.

"N-No! This has to be it…I think…"

"Yeah, this is the place." I morosely pointed at the sign for Shujin High School.

"I guess we'll just have to go and ask." Blondie groaned in defeat.

"Wow, a boy actually wants to ask for help. That's a first." I joked again.

Humor would get me through this.

"S-Shut up! That's not what this is." Blondie stomped towards the castle/school.

"Should we follow him or just wait? This doesn't seem right."

Akira pursed his lips thoughtfully. "If something is up, we can't abandon him."

I was quiet for a moment. "Okay. But if this goes south, I told you so."

Didn't Mr. Sakura just tell us not to stick our noses in other people's business?

I loved Akira, but I wished he wasn't so nice to everyone. How were we supposed to know if this vulgar boy wasn't trouble? He looked, spoke, and acted like a total delinquent with that dyed hair, irregular uniform, and the cursing.

What if we got into serious trouble again? We'd already paid the price for being wannbe heroes.

If this boy turned out to be a problem for Akira and I, I'd kick his butt, no hesitation. I wasn't letting anyone else screw us over.

"What the hell…this is the school, right?"

Akira shrugged. "Why are you asking me? I'm vaguely familiar with the layout of the school."

"A-Anyway, we should look for someone." The boy looked around the room.

"This atmosphere feels different." I glanced around the large, decadent room. This place truly was a castle and it was creepy.

The place felt unnatural somehow.

I was reminded of a past Halloween where Akira and I went to a haunted house. Akira was calm on the outside, but his hand shook the whole time he was holding mine while we walked through the house. I was more vocal about my fear and jumped at every sound and appearance of zombies.

Again, my brother was desperately trying to hide his unease while I eased my way into panic.

"Yeah, it makes me…uncomfortable somehow." Akira pushed his glasses up, feigning a calm air.

Loud stomping startled us. The boy ran back to our side.

"What's that sound?"

"Something's coming!" Akira grabbed my hand, prepared to run.

His pretense of calm had vanished.

A large man in a suit of armor ran into the room, brandishing a shield and sword. Blondie sighed, visibly relieved for some reason despite the obvious weapons in the guy's hands.

"Geez, you freaked me out…who're you? A student?"

The person in armor didn't speak. The boy walked forward to inspect the suit.

"H-Hey, you shouldn't get too close…" Akira warned.

His grip on my hand tightened.

"What? You scared?" The boy mocked, going ahead and knocking on the armor. "Man, your costume's impressive…is that armor real?"

"I really think you should step back, Blondie. Curiosity killed the cat, you know?" The stillness of the suit unnerved me.

Was that person even breathing? I couldn't see the chest moving.

"C'mon, don't just stand there. Say something." The boy continued poking the suit until another suited person came forward. Blondie cautiously backed up at the second suit's appearance. "H-Hey, what's goin' on?"

"What is this?" Akira pushed me behind him as the suits ganged up on us.

"Dude, I don't know!" One of the suits advanced on him. "This shit's real." Both suits leveled their swords at Blondie. "C-Calm down! Time out, man!" The boy ended up bumping into Akira. "We gotta run!"

"Got it." My brother immediately approved.

"Stop standin' around and run!" The boy ran for the entrance. Akira and I were right on his heels. Our escape was dashed by the arrival of more suits. They closed in us. "Ugh, what's with these guy?!"

"What're they trying to do?!" I yelled.

My back was to the boys. We were surrounded on all sides. My hands started shaking. I didn't have any way to fight off the suits.

"Gah!" The boy screamed as a suit rammed their shield into his back.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing? That was uncalled for!" I moved to the boy's aid, checking his back for any serious damage.

The boy was being an idiot, but he didn't deserve to be hit.

The same suit lifted his shield and slammed it into my arm and I fell to ground, choking back tears and cradling my stinging arm. I heard both Akira and the boy shout in anger.

Goddam it, that hurt! Why me?!

"Ow, ow, ow! What're you doing? Lemme go, dammit!" The suit dug its shield further into Blondie's back, keeping him pinned to the ground. "This guy's too strong! He's gonna break my back!"

"Get off him!" Akira tried to push the suit off.

"This is bad! Run! Just get your sister and run!"

"I'm not leavin-" Akira was struck by another suit and fell to the ground. The suit's foot came down on his back and he howled in pain.

"A-Akira…" I pushed myself up on my good arm, only to be shoved back down with a sword pressed against my neck.

"Take them away!" Was the last thing I heard before the butt of a sword hit me in the head and knocked me out.

* * *

**Take your time**

* * *

"An intruder, hmm? This one's at least nice to look at."

My eyes flew open as I felt something moving my bangs out of my face. I almost screamed.

The gross man I saw from the car was standing in front of me in nothing but a cape and a speedo. His disgusting, hairy body made my eyes burn.

"Very nice indeed." Kamoshida reached for my cheek. I recoiled away from the touch and he laughed. "Playing hard-to-get, eh? What do you think I should do about that, Princess Ann?"

A familiar pale-blonde girl sauntered up to Kamoshida and draped herself over the man.

"What is up with this? Don't you two have any decency?!" I exclaimed, cheeks enflamed from embarrassment for the two.

The foreigner was dressed in a skimpy, leopard bikini and a tiara with cat ears sat on her head.

"Ohhhh, she's totally outta control. You should like, punish her. Show her who's boss." She cooed with dopey eyes.

Her lovesick expression was sickening.

"I don't think so!" I tried to move my arm and realized that they were chained down to some cross. "What is this place?!"

The room was red with candles all over. It looked like some place out of the red-light district. A place where adult things transpired.

Mom would kill me if she knew I was in a place like this! She'd scream how unladylike and loose my behavior was!

Oh, god. What kind of situation had I gotten into?! Where was Akira and that boy? Where were the muscle heads when I needed them?!

"She's a feisty one. I like that, it'll be all the more fun to break her." Kamoshida lecherously gave me a once over. "Where should I start, hmm?"

"Her clothes need to go, they're so ugly."

"You're right. Getting rid of her clothes is the first obstacle." Kamoshida stalked up to me. "Ann, be a good girl and get the camera for me."

"Yes, King Kamoshida." Ann squealed, scurrying out the room and leaving me with the pervert focused on removing my clothes.

"S-Stay a-away from m-me." I warned, frantically rolling my wrists around to escape the cuffs. The pervert laughed again. He stood right in front of me, his filthy grin promised horrors for me. "N-No, g-get away from me."

I started hyperventilating. This was the same as that day!

That scumbag tried to force me into the car in place of that woman and I had to fight him off. The scratching and swatting I did barely fazed the drunk. The bastard tore my shirt open and groped me. Only when Akira yanked him off me did the man's groping finally stop.

When the cops arrived I was forced to face them half-nude from the top up, completely humiliated and miserable while Akira tried to defend us from the drunk's threats of suing us.

Those cops turned out to be just as bad as the drunk. They stared and touched me unnecessarily while shoving me into the back of the police car. Akira was brutalized for daring to speak up about my treatment.

I hated what happened that night! It ruined me!

" **Are you going to allow that travesty to happen again?"**

What? Whose voice was that?

"S-Stop it!" I cried, moving away from Kamoshida's groping hands.

Not again, not again, not again!

"Be quiet! You don't get to give me orders!" He snarled, backhanding me. His hands went back to yanking my shirt open.

"No!" Tears gathered in my eyes.

Was I going to be at the mercy of a man once again? Why did men get to do whatever they wanted and faced no consequences? It wasn't fair!

" **That doesn't have to be the case. You can rise above your circumstances, that way, everyone will bow to you."**

That voice again?!

Excruciating pain swept through my body. I screamed and convulsed from the sensation. Kamoshida jumped back in fright.

" **To shine is the will of the other you…vow to me…I am thou, thou art I. Speak my name!"**

From the depths of my soul an answer left my lips. "Come to my aid, Gloriana!"

Power surged within me. The chains were consumed by blue flames and I was released.

" **Remove your mask and unleash my power!"**

I obeyed the voice.

Removing the mask in one go was painful. Blood spurted out and covered my face. I wobbly stepped forward, feeling tingles all over. When I looked down my clothes were consumed by the flames, and I was covered in new garb.

My uniform had been replaced with a burgundy military-styled dress with frills on the sleeves and the coat flaps, accompanied by black leggings, golden gauntlet boots and matching gloves.

"H-How did you escape? What are you?!" Kamoshida backed away from me, sweating bullets.

"What shall we do with this despicable peasant?"

I turned to face my savior.

A regal woman in a rich gold gown with red hair and a crown, floated in the air. She thrummed with power. I could feel that power protectively extending towards me.

A feral grin worked it's way onto my face. With this power I could make this bastard pay for harassing me!

No one would ever force themselves on me again!

"Make him kneel, Gloriana!"

"As you command." She smirked, lifting her hand imperiously.

An explosion of light went off at Kamoshida's feet, making him fall flat on his face. The sight of terror on the pervert's face was thrilling.

"D-Damn you! Guards!" The man quickly scrambled out the room, shouting orders.

"G-Guards?!" My sense of invincibility faded and I panicked.

"Calm yourself, child. With me at your side you shall never fall to such weaklings." Gloriana boasted.

I believed her wholeheartedly, but I wasn't an experienced fighter. Besides, there were more important things to deal with. I ignored my urge to recklessly confront the guards and show them my new power.

"I have to find my brother and Blondie."

"Very well. Their slaughter shall have to wait." Gloriana vanished, but I could still feel her presence within me.

"Hold on bro, I'm coming." I wouldn't leave him to face the wolves alone.

* * *

**Take your time**

* * *

"The exist's this way!"

I ducked behind the staircase, greedily intaking air. "Not more suits."

At this point I was at my limit. It felt like I'd been running in circles looking for Akira. I'd somehow ended up back where we came in. Between navigating this castle and fighting, rescuing the boys seemed impossible on my own.

I could't give up. I had to find them.

Akira would do the same for me. He would never stop looking.

Determined to keep fighting, I waited for the enemy to enter my line of sight. A larger than average black cat sprinted through the hallway.

"D-Did I just imagine that?" I moved the mask up and rubbed my eyes. Not only was the cat running on two legs, it looked like something I'd see in a cartoon.

"Wait, we can't leave! I need to find my sister."

"Akira?" I incredulously peeked over the banister.

Lo and behold, there was my twin and the blonde boy. They both looked as banged up as me, but they were safe.

Maybe someone higher up took pity on me.

"I'm sorry, but there's no time! If you don't leave now those shadows will kill you." The cat insisted.

It talked!

"I'm not leaving without her!"

I stood up from my hiding spot. "Akira, I'm here!"

His head whipped around.

"Homura!" He beamed. "You're safe!"

"Right back at you, bro." I ran over and hugged him fiercely. His arms wrapped just as tightly around me.

Everything would be alright as long as we were together. The tension and worry in my body faded and I felt my clothes return back to normal.

"Dude, we were going crazy tryin' to find you. Where were you?"

I looked up from Akira's chest. Blondie scowled, but I could tell it wasn't from anger, but worry.

"Enough chitchat. You got what you wanted, now move it!" The cat pressed, surveying the room for enemies.

"I-It's really talking. How is it talking?"

"Homura, I'll explain after we get out of here." Akira grabbed my hand and ran after the cat.

"We're here." It stopped in the middle of a hallway.

"Finally! We're saved!" Blondie attempted to open a door. "It's not openin'! D'you trick us, you jerk?!"

"Don't jump to conclusions! Over here!" The cat hissed. It pushed open a door across from the one Blondie tried to open.

"H-Hey, wait up!"

We all chased after it.

"Where are we supposed to get out from here? There aren't even any windows!"

"Ugh, amateur…this is the most basic of basics." The cat huffed.

Akira looked up, indicating above the bookshelf. "A ventilation shaft?"

"I knew you were a sharp one." The cat complimented with a feline smirk. "You guys should be able to squeeze through it one at a time."

"I see…then we just gotta get that metal mesh off. And a one, and a…" Blondie ran for the bookshelf, vaulting up to the top and yanking off the bar. He fell backwards once the thing was off and crashed to the ground.

"Are you okay?" I held a hand out for the boy. "You're getting injured like crazy."

"That's an understatement." Akira held his hand out, too. The boy grabbed ahold of both our hands and we pulled him up.

For a moment we all registered how exhausted we were by our trembling hands. The boy was the first to jerk back his hand.

"Oww…crap! The enemy didn't hear us, did they?" The boy was unconcerned with the dust he'd accumulated. "Seriously, we're finally gettin' outta here!"

"You should wait on celebrating until you actually get out. Now get going." The cat crossed its arms impatiently.

"But…what about you?"

"There's something that I still have to do. We're going our separate ways."

The cat was saying goodbye to us? Why would it want to stay in this dangerous place?

"Umm…can I ask for your name? I'd like to thank you for helping my brother." I nervously approached the cat.

Everything in this place was beyond strange, but maybe there was one good thing here. For some reason this creature decided to lend a hand. It would be highly insensitive of me to not express gratitude since I failed to help the boys.

"Oh!" It perked up as its huge eyes landed on me. "A lady wishes to know my name, eh? Well it's Morgana, Lady Homura."

"M-Morg…" The name didn't sit well on my tongue, far too western.

It pouted and its ears dipped down.

It was kinda...cute.

"Ugh, I guess that's not as horrendous as Ryuji's first try."

"Ryuji?" I asked.

"Yo, that's me. Ryuji Sakamoto." Blondie, or Ryuji thumped his chest, spreading dust around him and making him break into a coughing fit.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance." I offered robotically.

"Grr! We're getting off track here!" Morgana bounced around angrily.

"S-Sorry…"

Morgana sighed, reigning in its anger. Did it have a soft spot for girls? He/it didn't have a problem snapping at Ryuji. "Be careful on the way out."

"Right. Let's do this." Ryuji climbed up first and then held his had down towards me. "You first, Homura."

"Okay."

Akira needed to give me a boost since I was shorter and couldn't reach the middle shelf. Ryuji managed to pull me up with a grunt. Akira was the next to be pulled up with help from both Ryuji and I.

"You really gonna be okay on your own?" My brother checked a final time on Morgana.

"Nothing for you guys to worry about."

"Thanks for helping us." He expressed before ushering me into the vent.

"Whoa…hey don't push me!" Ryuji barked.

"I can't help it! We're all crammed in here." I retorted.

"Whoa, whoa!" Ryuji yelled first, followed by me and then Akira as we all abruptly began falling.

"Owwwww!" Our groans blended together as we landed in a dog pile.

"Did we make it…is this the real world?" Ryuji muttered.

"Looks like it…the people are normal and staring at us." I stood up, feeling like I was under a microscope with how hard the adults were staring judgmentally at us.

"You have returned to the real world. Welcome back." A robotic voice announced.

"Huh? Returned? Does that mean we got away?" Ryuji looked around for the source of the voice.

"We got out, just like Morgana said…" Akira stuffed his hands in his pockets in a show of calm. A sign of his nerves getting to him again.

"That castle…and Kamoshida was the king…"

"And that weird cat helped us escape…" Akira added.

"I dunno what to think anymore…was it all a dream?" Ryuji kicked at the ground.

My brother's gaze roamed over me for injuries. "Homura, what happened to you in there? Kamoshida ranted about a disobedient girl when he had us locked up. Was that you?"

I stiffened at his questions.

I'd put the incident in the back of my mind to keep the hysteria at bay. Now it was all coming back…Kamoshida could have violated me if I hadn't stopped him. It was only because of Gloriana that I avoided that outcome.

"Homura, did he touch you?" Akira whispered, gently touching my shoulder. He wrapped his arm around me when I didn't respond and avoided his gaze. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there to stop him."

"H-He only unbuttoned my shirt…but it reminded me of that night." I mumbled brokenly.

"Hey, what's with the doom and gloom? I can literally see a cloud hanging over both of you." Ryuji mentioned, scratching his head.

"Nothing's wrong." Akira and I chimed.

Our problems weren't meant to be shared with a stranger.

"Geez, that's creepy." He dug out his phone and looked at it. "Wait, it's noon already?! Crap!"

"What?!" Akira retrieved his phone and grimaced as the screen read noon.

"We gotta hurry to school!" Ryuji jogged in place.

"What's with the yelling?! Are you students of Shujin?" Two cops stalked up to us.

"Cutting classes, are we?" The one with a bike, sneered.

"Oh great." I glared at the men in blue.

I'd had my fill of dealing with cops.

"Huh?! No! We were tryin' to get to school and we ended up at this weird castle!" Ryuji defended himself.

I covered my face, hiding my irritated frown.

Why would he say that? There was no way these aggressive officers were going to believe a story about a castle and suited monsters that turned into pixies and jack'o lanterns.

"Hand over your bag. You better not be doing any drugs." The officer reached for Ryuji's school bag.

"Why would you think that?!" He indignantly told the officer off.

"Why wouldn't he think that?" I remarked.

Cops always believed the worst of teenagers.

"Not helping." Ryuji growled.

"Are you two his friends?" The other officer interrogated us.

"Something like that." Akira provided.

"Then you should go to school. Take him with you."

"Like I'm tryin' to say…I don't know what's goin' on either!" Ryuji snatched his bag back after the officer concluded searching it.

"Stop making this worse for yourself." I chided Ryuji, pulling on his blazer.

The officer curled his lip at Ryuji. "We passed by Shujin on our way here. There was nothing out of the ordinary about it. If you spout anymore nonsense, I'll contact your school. Is that what you want?"

"C'mon, say something!" Ryuji urged Akira.

"Let's get going." He demurely offered.

"Uh, that's not what I meant…"

My brother took his leave of the confrontation, knowing that agitating the situation was a bad idea. Ryuji gaped at Akira's back.

"W-Wait a sec! Is that guy for real?"

"He is. Follow his lead before these cops change their minds." I tugged on his arm.

"Fine, I'm goin'."

* * *

**Take your time**

* * *

"That was some reception, huh? Can't believe we got the same homeroom teacher." Ryuji leaned back in his seat, balancing the odd angle with his foot on the desk.

"Pfft. Which one? The reception in front of the school was horrible and so was the one after I was introduced to the class." I rested my chin glumly on my knuckle.

Everyone whispered about me the entire time during class. It was so uncontrollable that the teacher couldn't continue his lesson.

Ryuji and I were waiting on the rooftop for my brother. This gathering was likely going to be about the castle. I still had so many questions.

"There you are. Sorry for callin' you up here like this. I bet Kawakami already told you stuff like 'don't get involved with him', huh?" Ryuji ranted to Akira.

"She said you're trouble."

"I don't think we need a teacher to tell us that. It's obvious Ryuji is a trouble magnet." I said.

Ryuji snorted at the jibe. "Heh, the way I see it we're all pretty much in the same boat."

"How so?" Akira took a seat on a desk.

"I heard you two got a criminal record. Everyone's talkin' about it."

"That shouldn't be public knowledge." I argued.

If everyone here already knew about the record then I had no chance. All the girls would hate me and the boys would terrorize me. It looked like optimism was out of the cards for me.

I knew this school wouldn't be a new beginning for us.

"Just ignore the rumors, they're all crazy. I for one, don't believe a word of it." Ryuji's nonchalance about the subject was unexpected, but refreshing. Everyone else treated us with disdain the moment they became aware of our records...maybe I wouldn't have to be on guard with him. "No wonder you were so gutsy, man."

"Gutsy isn't the word I'd use…" Akira was also surprised by Ryuji's acceptance and rubbed his neck bashfully.

Ryuji sat up in his seat. His game-face was on. "What was all that that happened? You know, how we almost got killed at a castle…it wasn't a dream…right? You remember it too, yeah?"

"Yeah…"

"Wait a second." I interjected. "What do you mean you were almost killed?"

While I was running around like a headless chicken, my brother was in mortal danger?

"That's right…you weren't there. Man, you should've seen your brother kick ass." Ryuji grinned, shooting Akira a thumbs up.

"Maybe we should swap stories so we're all on the same page." I suggested.

"Are you sure, Homura?" Akira's worriedly watched me for signs of a panic attack.

"Y-Yes, I'm okay with it." Of course my brother was more concerned about me than the fact he almost died...he was too compassionate.

Akira and Ryuji explained how they were imprisoned by Kamoshida and nearly killed until Akira summoned a demonic half-man, half-bird creature to help them escape and fight off the guards. While escaping they broke Morgana, the cat, out of a cell and made a deal with it to show them the way out while searching for me. The suits caught up to them and they were forced to flee for the exit, where they then bumped into me.

Their story was more interesting than mine.

The highlight of my tale was the part where I experienced a similar summoning as Akira and escaped Kamoshida. I glossed over the possible assault I suffered for Akira's sake, but his eyes still got that cold look in them. Ryuji got even more worked up than my brother after that piece of information, exclaiming how much of a perverted bastard Kamoshida was. After my escape I struggled to fight off the guards on my own and had to sneak through the castle till I reunited with the boys.

By the end of the exchange I felt a little better and had a basic understanding of some things. Morgana had told Akira that the creature he summoned was a "Persona" and that the castle was "Palace". Akira's summary of Morgana's information was jumbled and confused, but it gave me something to work with.

Gloriana was a Persona. I obtained her power by ripping off the mask that appeared.

Most importantly, she helped me get back at that disgusting man.

"Well, just cause we all remember that place doesn't mean much though…I mean, even if it was a dream, you saved me from Kamoshida. So yeah…thanks, Akira." Ryuji flashed my brother a wide, toothy grin.

"You're welcome." He blushed while twirling a strand of his hair.

"Don't go hero-worshipping my brother. He's already got a big head and zero regard for his personal safety. Don't make my job as the responsible sister harder." I stated.

Akira really had no sense of self-preservation.

"Dude, your sister's harsh. How can someone so innocent lookin' say stuff like that?"

"That's Homu's charm, she fools everyone with those doe-eyes." Akira lightly patted my head. He knew that my words weren't meant to insult him, but make him more aware of what I saw as his fatal flaws, even though kindness shouldn't be a flaw. That was the society we lived in though, a society where kindness was liabilty. "She's harmless though. Don't let her cutting words bother you."

"I don't see how Ryuji would be bothered by anything I say, considering how vulgar he is."

"What're you talking about?" He scowled at me.

"You were so rude to those girls in our class, not that they didn't deserve it." I recalled flippantly.

The girls were laughing at how bright Ryuji's dye was and teasing him about how he looked better with brown hair.

He scoffed. "Those girls don't know what they're talking about. My hair looks fine."

"Eh, it's alright on you. Adds to your bad boy charm." I shrugged.

"R-Really?" Ryuji stuttered, pink dusted his cheeks.

"Yeah. You're cute for a delinquent, but you're kinda dense…that brings your charm levels back down." I divulged teasingly.

Ryuji would have to get used to being teased if he was going to hang around me. I had a healthy appreciation of the male species at this age. Akira was just as bad about females, but he was more low-key about it than me.

"Geez…Homura insults and compliments me in one sentence…should I be mad or grateful?"

"Look what you started, minx." Akira poked me in the cheek.

I giggled, unrepentant for the strife I caused.

"That Kamoshida we saw there…" Ryuji brought us back on topic. "You two prolly don't know about it, but there are some rumors about him."

"What rumors?" Akira warily inquired.

"That ripped moped." I laughed at Ryuji's insult. "That asshole who was all full of himself at the castle. No one says anything against him cause he's some medalist who took the volleyball team to nationals. The way Kamoshida was king of that castle felt crazy real cause of that…" He crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair, eyes thoughtful. "I wonder if we can go back to that castle again…" Ryuji bolted out of his seat. "Ugh, forget it. Must've all been a dream! It has to be!"

Akira and I shared a look. Shared dreams appeared to be the consensus for all the weirdness in our lives.

"Sorry to drag both of you out here like this. That's all I had to say." Ryuji slapped Akira's shoulder. "You know, we might be pretty similar. I feel like we're gonna get along just fine as 'troublemakers'." He shot me a grin next. "You're pretty girly, but you're spunky…I'll come talk if I see either you around. Don't ignore me, all right?"

"Sure thing." Akira waved to a retreating Ryuji.

I sighed. "Now we just have to deal with Mr. Sakura's lecture and we're done for the day."

"I don't think he'll be as bad as the teachers."

So you think, bro. All the adults in our lives were turning out to be disappointments.

* * *

**Take your time**

* * *

"About time you've come to." Caroline's harsh tone was accompanied by her baton striking the cell next to mine.

"Not this place again…" I hunched forward on the bed, covering my face and counting to three.

I didn't know how much more my sanity could put up with all this.

"On your feet, Inmates!" Caroline slammed her baton on my cell next.

I languidly got up and leaned against the bars just to defy the high-strung little girl. Though I couldn't see him, I knew my brother was present by his deep exhale.

"Our master wishes to speak with both of you. It's for your own sakes that his words are taken to heart." Justine paid more attention to her clipboard than she did to us.

Talk about opposite ends of the spectrum with these twins. One girl was bent on being hellish to us and one was intent on ignoring us.

Igor clapped. "First off, let us celebrate our reunion." His apparent joy made my insides curl. I didn't think I'd ever get used to his presence. "Oh? You've both awakened to your powers. And special ones at that. The rehabilitation can finally begin."

"Rehabilitation? Can you explain what that is?" Respectful as ever, Akira.

"There is no need to understand it all for the time being. You two will be training the power of Persona, which has awakened."

"What is a Persona?" I questioned with a level of tact.

Caroline wouldn't think twice about turning the electricity on her baton and hitting my cell if I showed even a shred of disrespect to Igor.

With how obnoxiously cryptic Igor could be, he deserved more attitude from his "Inmates".

"Personas are, in other words, a 'mask'-an armor of the heart when confronting worldly matters. I have high expectations for both of you." Igor astonishingly gave me a straight answer.

"What do you mean?" Akira pushed for more information.

"There is no need to worry. You will learn when the time comes." He dismissed. "By the by…have you come to appreciate the Metaverse Navigator? Using it will allow you to come and go between reality and Palaces."

"Metaverse Navigator?"

"I bestowed it to you as a means to train you as a thief. Your other half is in possession of it as well."

"The Metaverse Navigator is a gift from our Master! You better take care in using it, Inmates!" Caroline threatened.

"Devote yourselves to training so that you both may become fine thieves." Justine looked up from her clipboard to stare at us.

"It must be disheartening to only make use of the Metaverse Navigator between yourselves. Should there be others who would prove beneficial to Akira, I will grant it to them as well. This all for your growth as thieves."

The ringing of a bell brought the discussion to an end. Anymore cryptic nonsense from them and my head might've exploded.

"Hmph, it's time. Go back and enjoy whatever rest you might have." Caroline's reported scathingly.

My body moved on its own and I ended up sprawled out on the cot, eyes drooping closed.

Why me? Why was this my life?

 


	3. Chapter 3

 

 

 

"Look! It's the castle from yesterday! Ryuji exclaimed.

The medieval nightmare loomed before us.

"I can't believe he figured out how to get back here. Is Ryuji a secret genius or was this dumb luck? I'm leaning more towards the dumb luck spectrum." I skeptically crossed my arms and glared at the castle, willing it to disappear.

I was sure that we were wasting our time looking for the entrance and that we'd all put it out of mind by the end of the day.

After our first experience at the castle, I was scared of going back.

Akira was doubtful of the success of our endeavor, but he went with Ryuji's plan anyway. With the whole student body against us, it was crucial that we not turn away a potential ally. Those were Akira's words, more or less.

As his loyal sister, I tagged along.

"Stuff it, Homura." Ryuji countered and then ran towards the front doors.

"Why is he so hot-blooded?"

"It's the flames of youth." Akira quipped and pursued Ryuji.

"That was lame…" I caught up to the boys.

Ryuji spun around, prepared to say something, only to gasp and point at Akira and myself.

"Those clothes!"

I looked down in confusion.

My uniform was replaced with the military dress and the mask was back on my face without me noticing. Akira wore a trench coat over a dress-shirt and trousers. Ryuji looked normal compared to us in his uniform.

"That happened last time, too. What's with outfits?!"

"I think they're interesting. It feels like I'm about to go on stage." I twirled around and posed with my arms outstretched for a monologue, imagining the spotlight on myself and the crowd throwing roses at my feet.

The stage was the one place that I shined like a star. Lead roles were my specialty when I was part of the drama club. Performing for an audience was my grand calling.

"You like that?!" Ryuji bursted my bubble with his annoying expression of disbelief and horror.

"I do." I defended myself, daring him to make fun of me.

The intensity of my glower made Ryuji sweat frightfully.

Akira stepped forward and used my head as an arm rest, liberating Ryuji from my hostility. "He's just jelly, Homes. Not everyone can pull off this kind of style." He diffused the situation with a light joke.

"I-I am not." Ryuji sputtered and aggressively scratched at his head. "What's goin' on here?! This makes no effin' sense at all…"

"Hey!" An effeminate voice called out.

Our heads moved to a column where an oversized feline head was poking out. The cat snuck over.

"Stop making a commotion." It hissed.

"Ah…you." Ryuji despaired.

Morgana's ear flattened, stung by the dejected greeting.

I covered my mouth to contain the squeal that wanted to escape. Without the threat of potential death and horrors, Morgana's cuteness was much more apparent to me. I had a severe urge to play with its ears.

"The Shadows started acting up, so I came here wondering what it could be…to think you guys would come back to the entrance when you barely managed to escape." Morgana rebuked us, shaking its large head exasperatedly.

"For the record, I didn't want to come here. I'm present to look after my brother." I interjected with a raised hand.

Twins were supposed to do everything together, especially suicidal missions. It was in the code book of twins.

"What is this place? Is it the school?"

"That's right." Morgana answered Ryuji.

"But it's a castle!"

"The castle IS the school." The cat reiterated. "But only to this castle's ruler."

"Castle ruler, eh?" I started.

"Must be the guy running around in a pink speedo." Akira finished.

"Man, that's weird. Quit it." Ryuji groused.

Morgana's ears twitched and it grinned, showing off sharp teeth. "I heard that some humans with strong bonds could finish each other's sentences. Do you two have some kind of mind reading powers?"

"Nope. We're not that good…but it'd be super cool if we had telepathy. Think of all the tests I could ace with Akira feeding me the answers. I'd never have to study." I held my chin my hand, nodding to the idea.

Mom and Dad would get off my case if my grades turned out stellar like Akira's instead of just average. Too bad I didn't find academics all that important.

Why would anyone need to be a jack-of-all-trades when they could become a master in one subject? I had drama down to a tee.

Akira chuckled. "That's cheating, sis."

"Only if I get caught, bro."

"Alright, alright. Back to this castle thing." Ryuji butted in.

"It's how Kamoshida's distorted heart views the school." The cat didn't understand why three blank faces were staring at it.

"Explain it in a way that makes sense!" Ryuji stomped his foot.

Morgana scoffed. "I shouldn't have expected a moron to get it."

Moron? Ryuji wasn't the only who didn't get that matter-of-fact explanation.

"What'd you say?" He towered over the cat.

"Uh…" Akira nervously approached Ryuji and Morgana.

They were glaring daggers at each other.

"Ohhh, it's a catfight!" I taunted, cackling wickedly at my pun.

"Not helping." My brother frowned disapprovingly.

I blew a raspberry.

I would own up to it, I was an instigator. I really needed to work on that and save Akira some stress…though I've only caused little disturbances, not major ones.

Those shabby, backstabbing bimbos at my old school deserved my retribution. They had zero right to slut-shame me!

A bloodcurdling scream silenced our bickering.

My hand latched onto Akira's coat. Ryuji gulped, sweat dripped down his chin.

"W-What was that?!" He asked.

"It must be the slaves captive here." Akira's face paled at Morgana's casual words.

"We heard screams like this before…" My brother recalled.

Ryuji's eyes widened. "We saw those other guys held captive here yesterday…I'm pretty sure they're from our school."

"Most likely they were tortured on Kamoshida's orders. It's nothing out of the ordinary; it's like that everyday here." Morgana's nonchalance on the subject was making me ill.

People were being tortured on a daily basis and this cat didn't bat an eye to it. Either it was heartless or too accustomed to it. Both notions were awful.

Why the hell would Ryuji want to come back here?

"What's more, you three escaped yesterday. He must have lost his temper quite a bit."

"That son of a bitch! This is bullshit!" Ryuji howled, running for the doors and ramming his arm into it. When that proved ineffective, he punched the door.

"Ryuji, don't do that! You'll alert the whole castle." I hovered behind him.

He ignored me and kept punching the door. The sound of his fists hitting the door was irksome, but more importantly I was concerned about the red droplets I was starting to see.

"Stop it! You're hurting yourself!" I grabbed his arm, putting a stop to the damage being done to his hand.

The idiot had hit the door so many times that the skin on his fist had split open and was bleeding. Ryuji brimmed with anger and snatched his hand out of my grasp.

I was hurt by the rejection and stepped back.

"Doing that isn't going to open it, you know…still it seems you have your reasons." Morgana's stoicism was tempered and it sent a perturbed look Ryuji's way.

"Hey, Monamona."

"It's Morgana!" The cat bristled.

"Do you know where those voices are comin' from?"

"You want me to take you to them?" Morgana guessed. It was on the fence about the idea and scratched its chin. "Well, I guess I could guide you there. But only if the twins come with us."

"Why us?" We said at the same time.

"You two are my secret weapon, that's why." Morgana's big eyes twinkled and it beamed. "It's settled then!"

"Hold. We need to discuss this." I crossed my arms into an "X" and pulled Akira off to the side. "Bro, this is dangerous. Like Morgana said, we barely made it out the first time."

"I know. But Ryuji is going to go in with or without us. I can't in good conscience let him go in alone." Akira's eyes pleaded with mine. "Homura, we can't turn away from this, not when we can help."

I groaned and covered my face so I wouldn't have to see his eyes fill with disappointment from my indecision.

Was I bad person for wanting to keep us safe and out of trouble? I thought that was what sisters were supposed to do? Keep their brothers safe, right? Yet, every time I tried, my brother was dissatisfied with me for considering our wellbeing over someone else's.

…He was angry at me that night for wanting to ignore the woman and the drunk.

"Sis, it's not always us or them." Akira's hand landed on my head, aware of my internal struggle.

I looked up. He had that patient smile in place. The one he used when I made a mistake and he was trying to help me understand the error of my ways.

"Alright. Let's go then." I gave in.

"Thank you, Homura."

We rejoined the group and informed them of our decision.

"For real? Thanks you guys." I managed a tiny smile at Ryuji's overt relief.

His heart was in the right place. I was just afraid that we might have been in over our heads.

"All right, let's do this. Follow me!" Morgana led us to the ventilation shaft we exited from before and told us it would be our infiltration point from now on.

Ryuji and Akira pushed a barrel over for easy access to the passage. The cat went through first. Ryuji stopped us from going.

"So, uh…sorry for dragging' both you into all this…but I just can't forgive that bastard Kamoshida doin' whatever the hell he wants!" He apologized more to me since I was the one that protested the most. I blushed, embarrassed that my fear was so obvious that Ryuji felt bad for his request. "Really though, thanks for comin' along. I'll owe you both big time!"

"Dinner would be a good start." Akira bartered jokingly.

"Sure, sure. There's this great ramen place I'll show you guys."

"Sounds great. I can only suffer Homura's cooking for so long."

"Excuse me!" I jabbed Akira in the side with my elbow. "Learn how to cook yourself then, jerk. Mom isn't here so you're free to give it a try."

"Homura's a bad cook? I'd never have guessed." Ryuji scratched his head.

My blush increased and I climbed on top of the barrel to escape the humiliating conversation.

So what if I couldn't cook?! That didn't make me a sad excuse of a girl!

"Follow me and make sure you all do exactly as I say, all right?" Morgana mandated after we all were present.

Akira took the lead with Ryuji and I flanking him as Morgana guided us through the castle. Our group came to a quick stop at the grand entrance.

"What the?!" Ryuji whipped around, rubbing at his eyes.

The room flickered from the appearance of a castle to the front hallway entrance of Shujin.

"I-I think I'm gonna be sick…" I held my head and fought back the nausea.

The room kept flickering between the castle and Shujin.

"Am I seein' double or something? Was that Shujin?"

"I've told you before. This place is your school. Regardless, we don't have the time to stand around. Who knows when a Shadow might show up." Morgana waved its paw. "Come on, this way!"

The room shifted back to the castle and we continued further in towards the underground prison. Down the winding stairs we went. The air became thick with oppression and fear, making my skin crawl.

" **Peace, child. Nothing can harm you as long as you stand tall."**

Gloriana's voice sent a wave of confidence through me. With her by my side, I had nothing to fear.

"Stop." Akira raised his fist.

We all crowded behind the gate and peaked over his shoulder.

"Darn…I had a feeling there would be guards here…it looks like we won't be able to avoid conflict from this point forward." Morgana eyed the patrolling guard with apprehension. Its feline eyes locked onto my twin and I. "I'll teach you rookies the basics of battle right now. You both had better remember all of this."

The cat explained the mechanics of ambushing an enemy by sneaking up on them and ripping off their masks. An ambush would give us the preemptive strike. Ryuji was excited to try it out, but Morgana pointed out that only Persona users could engage the Shadows.

"Let's go." Morgana stroked its chin. "I would say ladies first, but this is dangerous work so I leave the ambushing up to you, Frizzy Hair."

"My hair isn't frizzy." Akira looked so affronted that I would have laughed if I wasn't insulted as well.

"It isn't frizzy, it's curly." I added in his defense.

An attack on Akira's hair was an attack on mine since we had identical features.

"Just go!" Morgana bounced around agitatedly.

Akira looked over his shoulder at the Shadow and paused.

"I'll be right behind you." I lightly tugged Akira's curl at his moment of hesitation.

I could see through the mask of calm he put on for others because of their expectations. He was as scared as any of us. Maybe even more because he was deemed the "leader" and in charge of our actions.

He flashed me a grateful smile and leaped behind a stack of crates.

"When did he get so fast?!" I muttered, trying to keep up with his agile leaps.

One last leap and Akira was in position to ambush the guard.

He jumped onto the Shadow's shoulders and ripped off the mask. In an amazing show of acrobatics, Akira flipped off the shadow and landed with a flourish as it dissolved into red puddle of liquid. From the pool of liquid, a jack'o lantern emerged.

"That is so disgusting. What an ugly entrance!" I whined before running into position with Morgana.

" **Finally. I can take the stage again."**

Gloriana appeared in a barrage of flames and a large broadsword materialized in my hands.

Morgana raised its scimitar and cried. "Let's do this!"

Between three Persona users, the jack'o lantern didn't stand a chance. In no time at all, we took it down with our weapons, conserving our energy for tougher fights.

With this method of ambushing we took out the Shadows patrolling the moat and reached the prison cells. Ryuji was pissed that they were empty and ran off to inspect the other cells down the hall.

Morgana shuffled us into a room after he reported that a large group of Shadows were approaching.

"The Shadows probably won't come in here." The cat hoped onto the table.

Ryuji panted against the wall. Akira and I hovered near the door in case the Shadows broke through.

"H-How can you tell." The deliquent gasped out.

"There's a lack of distortion here, meaning the ruler's control over this area is weak."

The storage room shifted to a classroom.

"Does this count as motion sickness since the room is kinda moving?" I stumbled into a chair and pressed my face into the wood.

The shifting wasn't doing any favors for my stomach.

"Is this a classroom?" Ryuji questioned.

"Now do you understand? This place is another reality that the ruler's heart projects." Morgans's feet scuffed against the table and I felt its paw poke my head.

I tentatively glanced up. The room was back to being a cramped, medieval supply room.

"This is Kamoshida's reality? Shit makes no sense at all!" Ryuji kicked a chair. He muttered an apology after I yelped in surprise.

"One could say it's a world in which one's distorted desires have materialized. I call such a place a 'Palace'."

"I remember you calling it that. This is Kamoshida's Palace, right?" Akira stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Morgana nodded.

"This is happening because he thinks the school is his own castle."

Ryuji's jaw dropped. "So, it became like this cause he just thought of it like that?" He broke out into a fit of defeated laughs.

"Umm, is he alright? He flip-flops so much that I can't keep up." I stood up, removing myself from the table in case Ryuji kicked another chair.

"That son of a bitch!" Ryuji yelled with absolute fury.

We all flinched at the intensity. Morgana massaged its ears.

"You must really hate this Kamoshida guy." It whimpered.

"Hate doesn't even cover how I feel." He spat, gripping his leg. "Everything is that asshole's fault!"

Ryuji Sakamoto.

I wondered what curve ball fate threw him to ignite such fire? His fury reminded me of my own, the fury that I struggled with every day since we got arrested.

"I don't know what happened between you two, but don't let your emotions get the better of you. His lackeys are everywhere inside." Morgana warned. It jumped near my face and changed the subject. "I bet you're curious about your outfit, aren't you? It's quite regal."

I pulled at the dress's collar. The outfit was extravagant compared to my brother's more subtle ensemble.

"I am curious about it. Homura and I just appeared in these clothes. What happened to our uniforms?" Akira inquired while tugging on his coat.

"That's because of this world." Morgana replied.

"More stuff that makes no sense…" Ryuji sighed and leaned against the wall. "You're crap at this…"

The cat coughed loudly and explained further. "Anything distorts according to how a ruler pleases within their Palace. A school can turn into a castle like this, after all. In order to prevent such distortions, one must hold a powerful will of rebellion. Your appearance is a manifestation of that. It's the image of rebellion that you hold within."

"I see, I see." Akira bobbed his head sagely.

The nerd.

My eyebrows scrunched inward. "So, our idea of rebellion looks like old-fashioned nobility? That's why our clothes are like this? That's bizarre…I understand that in my case since I read so many western plays…but my brother is a different matter."

Akira fiddled with his hair. "Maybe you've rubbed off on me more than you think, Homes."

"Ugh, I'm so fed up with all this." Ryuji pushed off the wall and pointed at Morgana. "I'm more curious about you than their clothes. What the hell are you anyway?!"

"I'm a human-an honest-to-god human!" The cat insisted heatedly.

"No, you're obviously more like a cat!"

"A cute cat." I threw in when Morgana's claws came out.

In-fighting wasn't a good idea when we needed each other to get out. The comment eased some of Morgana's anger and it gestured vaguely to itself.

"This is, well…it's because I lost my true form…I think."

"You think?" Ryuji dubiously repeated.

"But I do know how to regain my true form." Morgana's tail moved excitedly back and forth. "The reason I snuck in here was for a preliminary investigation of those means…well, I ended up getting caught though…" It coughed into its paw. "Besides, I've been tortured by Kamoshida too! I'm gonna make him pay for sure!"

Ryuji slumped forward, head hanging downward. "What is this, a comic book? This is seriously crazy."

"If we want to continue investigating, we should get going." Akira's eyes flared with determination.

Morgana and Ryuji's suffering hit a nerve for him.

"Alright, I'll be counting on you Rookie Twins. Got it?"

"Understood." We replied in different tones. Akira was fired up. I was weary.

Ryuji stepped in front of my brother.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna force it all on you guys. I thought it might help, so…I brought this just in case." He pulled out a gun from his back pocket and held it out to Akira.

"Are you crazy?! Why are you carrying around a gun and why are you giving it to my brother?!" I shrieked, grabbing Akira's hands and preventing him from taking the weapon.

"I-I have to agree. A gun is a dangerous thing and shouldn't be used by minors." He politely declined.

Ryuji was offended by the unfavorable assumptions. "Will you two chill, it's just a model gun! It doesn't shoot, only makes sounds!"

A mortified "oh" left our lips for assuming the worst of the boy.

"It looks totally real, so it'll at least fake out the Shadows." His enthusiasm grew as he shared his brilliant plan. "I brought some medicine too. You know what they say: 'Providin' is pre…something'. Huh? Huh?" Ryuji fished for a compliment.

"Maybe he's not as dumb as I thought. He had enough sense to come prepared." I grudgingly acknowledged.

"Homura, manners." Akira chided, pinching my cheek.

"So you were planning this from the start…" Morgana murmured. "Fine. If you're ready to go, we'll resume our infiltration."

"Here, man." Ryuji held the model gun back out to Akira. "Your sister's got that giant ass sword to fight with, you need this more than she does."

Akira accepted the weapon, studying it before gingerly placing it in his coat pocket. "Let's hope I don't have to use this. Even though it's a model, it still makes me uncomfortable."

"Man, you're freaked out about a gun? Imagine how freaked out I am by you three calling on those thingamajigs."

"Personas, moron!" Morgana corrected Ryuji.

" **Yes, do get it right, boy. I do so dislike being called a 'thingamajig'. I will accept no other address than 'Your majesty' or 'Your grace'. I am a queen after all."**

Gloriana raged in my mind.

Personas. They were keeping us alive in this place.

* * *

**Take your time**

* * *

"It's you knaves again. To think you'd make the same mistake again. You're hopeless!" Shadow Kamoshida strutted into the room with a group of guards flanking him. Thankfully, his cape kept the speedo hidden from view.

My eyes didn't need to be burned again.

"I was so hoping we wouldn't run into this predator." I grumbled.

My body automatically moved into an offensive position.

Ryuji had accomplished his mission of investigating the athletes and committing their faces to memory for him to confront in reality. We were just about on our merry way out.

Psych! Everything major seemed to go down at the Palace's main entrance.

"The school ain't your castle! I've memorized their faces real good. You're goin' down!" Ryuji boasted with a raised fist.

Shadow Kamoshida smirked and glanced back at his guards. "It seems it's true when they say 'barking dogs seldom bite'." The guards jeered like trained animals and the predator basked in their support. "How far the star runner of the track team has fallen."

"The hell are you gettin' at?" Ryuji and Shadow Kamoshida delved into a shouting match while the rest of us looked on.

"I speak of the 'Track Traitor' who acted in violence, ending his teammates' dreams. Oh, I can only imagine the pain of the others who were dragged under with your…selfish act." The fake expression of distress looked utterly out of place on the predator's face. Not with those monstrous, gold eyes laughing at all of us.

Ryuji deflated, a look of shame crossed his face.

Being the cause of others' careers ending was heavy stuff to carry. No wonder Ryuji was in a phase of lashing out.

"The 'Track Traitor'? How could one student ruin an entire team? I don't believe that!" Akira came to Ryuji's defense, returning the loyalty the boy had shown us over our records.

"What a surprise. So you're accompanying him without knowing anything about him?" Shadow Kamoshida jutted his chin out, looking down on my brother like he as garbage for daring to defend Ryuji. "He betrayed his teammates and crushed their hopes, yet he still carries on as carefree as ever."

"T-That's not true…" Ryuji still wouldn't look up from the floor.

"You've come along with this fool and are now going to end up dead. How unlucky for you. Unless…" The predator's glowing eyes fixed on me. A perverted blush painted his cheeks and his lewd smile stretched from ear to ear. "You hand that girl over to me…I owe her an excruciating punishment for last time."

"Hell no!" I screeched just as Akira stepped forward.

The cold look in his eyes and murderous aura emitting from him was off-putting.

"Over my dead body." He said with such calm that I felt a chill in the room.

The guards disregarded the threat and proceeded to shout and beat their shields, proclaiming how stupid I was for turning down "The Great King Kamoshida".

" **Disgusting. As if the 'other me' would ever be interested in such a degenerate. Men like him aren't even fit to kiss my feet."**

Gloriana's words were spot on.

I gagged. "Not in a million, trillion years would I ever go for an old, perverted, gym teacher!"

That insult was the last straw for the predator. "Go, kill them all! Don't sully my castle with garbage."

With a battle cry, the guards dissolved into puddles and revealed their true selves. Large horses neighed at us and stomped in place.

"Ryuji, move!" Morgana ordered, sprinting in front of the boy. "Rookie Twins, prepare to engage!"

Roger!" We responded.

The horses surrounded us.

I was forced to play defensive since my broadsword wasn't built for speed and the horses were lunging rapidly whenever they got a chance. Akira and Morgana hopped away from the attacks and managed to land some hits, but they weren't doing major damage.

"Ugh! I just need an opening!" I grunted as I blocked another charge and nearly got knocked over.

"One opening, coming right up!" Akira switched out his knife for the model gun and shot at one of the horse's legs, crippling it and making it crash into the one next to it.

"Good one, bro!" I summoned Gloriana and ordered her to use Hama.

**"Die, die, die for your Virgin Queen!"** She chanted as the spell was cast and successfully killed one of the Shadows while I finished off the other downed one.

"Good job, Frizzy Twins!" Morgana cheered. Its persona, Zorro, hit the third horse with a Garu.

Victory seemed at hand until more horses joined the fray.

"C'mon, this isn't fair." I could feel my energy dwindling and making me sloppier with my swings.

"There's no end to them!" Akira switched back to his knife after the gun cartridge ran out.

Even a model gun had its limits.

"W-We've got no choice but to keep fighting…" Morgana swayed, exhausted from repeatedly healing us. A horse rammed into it and the cat went down.

Without our healer, we were overwhelmed.

Akira fell to the ground and I collapsed against my sword. A guard kicked me away from the blade and then shoved Akira's face into the carpet with its foot.

"You piece of-" Morgana's slur went unheard as Shadow Kamoshida's foot crashed into its back.

"I bet you simply came here on a whim and ended up like this. Isn't that right?" He mocked Ryuji, who had fallen to his knees, petrified at the scene and his own helplessness.

"No…" He shook his head, denying the accusation and the scene before him.

"What a worthless piece of trash, getting emotional so quickly. How dare you raise your hand at me." Shadow Kamoshida stomped on Morgana, eliciting a pained cry from the cat. "Though it was only temporary, have you forgotten my kindness in supervising track practice?"

"That wasn't no practice-it was physical abuse! You just didn't like our team!" Ryuji choked on his words and bashed his head into the floor as his insecurities were laid bare.

From what I'd seen in the dungeons, Kamoshida truly treated the students like punching bags. How humiliated and broken those students must have felt.

A teacher treated them like trash. It infuriated me!

"It was nothing but an eyesore! The only one who needs to achieve results is me! That coach who got fired was hopeless too. Had he not opposed me with a sound argument, I would've settled it with only breaking his star's leg."

"What?" Ryuji lifted his head, tears dripping down his cheeks.

"Do you need me to deal with your other leg too? The school will call it self-defense anyway!"

"Dammit…Am I gonna lose again?" Ryuji sobbed, gripping his leg. "Not only can I not run anymore…the track team is gone too cause of this asshole."

Why? Why? Why were shitty adults running rampant in this world?!

Why were they allowed to get away with anything they wanted?!

"Once these three are dealt with, you're next." Shadow Kamoshida broke out into a mad fit of laughter, taunting Ryuji even more.

"Don't let him win! Stand up for yourself, Ryuji!" Akira cried out, pushing himself up from beneath the guard.

He was fired up like never before.

I drew courage from his spirit and shouted encouragement alongside him. "Kamoshida wrecked your life so it's only fair that you do the same ten-fold. Where's that delinquent spirit, Ryuji?!"

He stared in wonder at us, perplexed to have people believe in him.

Ryuji could do it. It only took one person's belief to give someone the courage to stand up for themselves.

"You guys are right…" He wiped his face. "Everything that was important to me was taken by him…I'll never get'em back!"

"Stay there and watch." Shadow Kamoshida commanded Ryuji. "Look on as these hopeless scum die for nothing because they sided with trash like you."

The predator kicked the cat towards one of the guards and snapped his fingers. The servant raised its blade and Morgana weakly looked up at the sword.

Akira and I struggled against our oppressors to reach Morgana.

"No!" A gust of wind blew the guards and Kamoshida back, saving Morgana from a beheading. Ryuji stood up. "You're the scum! All you think about is using people."

I could feel the air getting heavier with power. Ryuji confidently walked up to Shadow Kamoshida.

"What are you doing? Silence him!" The predator wailed to his guards. The wind coming from Ryuji kept them cornered against the walls and stairs. Shadow Kamoshida smirked in spite of the disadvantage he was at, bluffing like there was no tomorrow. "You're a yipping dog, you won't do anything!"

"Stop looking down on me with that stupid smile on your face!" Ryuji proved him wrong, ramming his head into Shadow Kamoshida's large chin and sending the man to the floor.

"That was a critical hit!" I applauded.

The small victory was short-lived. Ryuji instantly collapsed, crying out in pain and convulsing. Kamoshida crawled backwards while cradling his reddening chin.

"R-Ryuji?!"

Akira stopped me from approaching him. "Don't. Can't you feel his power awakening?"

My brother was right.

The wind had stopped and the feel of tangible power in the air had escalated, revolving around Ryuji's jerking form. His cries and spasms were hard to stomach.

Was that what my awakening was like? How terrifying.

"Hmph, what can you brats do?" One of the guards had snuck up on us while we were distracted. Its sword descended for Akira's head. "Cower in fear and watch!"

"Akira!" I desperately pushed him out of the way.

Flames exploded from Ryuji as his mask came off in a shower of blood and his clothes were replaced with a leather outfit. The sword missed taking off any of my limbs from the explosion.

"Woah…" I muttered, admiring the pirate floating behind Ryuji.

"Right on…wassup, Persona? This effin' rocks!" He grinned madly, cracking his knuckles in anticipation of a beatdown. "Now that I got this power, it's time for payback."

"About time you manned up." I tossed my hair behind my shoulder and reclaimed my sword.

"I knew you wouldn't give in." Akira praised him with certainty.

"Morgana meowed in a wicked way. "Guess even amateurs can have their moments of glory."

Ryuji's awakening had rejuvenated us all. The battle was on once more.

The deliquent took his place alongside all of us. "Yo, I'm ready. Bring it!"

"Don't mock me, you brat!" The head guard dissolved, revealing a red knight on a stead.

"Blast him away, Captain Kidd!" Ryuji bellowed, pointing a pipe at the enemy.

The pirate chortled. **"Let's blow them away, mate."**

Captain Kidd took aim for the Red Knight and unleashed an electric attack. The knight was paralyzed from the spell.

"Now's my chance." I flew forward with my sword.

"Homura, look out!" My brother's warning came too late and I couldn't avoid an incoming horse's charge.

"Goddammit…" I groaned after landing on my back.

" **Child, you must show better awareness. Do not always charge in so recklessly."**

I huffed from Gloriana's reprimand.

"Arsene, Eiha on that horse!"

"No, no! Aim for the Red Knight. He'll keep calling in more reinforcements unless we take him out." Morgana shouted over the noise.

I got back up and rejoined the battle. The boys had obeyed Morgana's order and were focusing their attacks on the Red Knight.

"Shit! Our attacks ain't doing squat!" Ryuji swung his pipe and clobbered a horse.

Akira assessed the situation and issued out orders. "We need to stun it again. Ryuji paralyze it." He turned to me. "Morgana and I will cover you this time, Homura. Your attack should weaken it enough for me to finish it off."

"Understood, bro." I held my sword with both hands and geared myself up for another frontal assault.

"Captain Kidd, Zio!" Ryuji roared.

The attack managed to stun the knight again. The horses expected me to strike and lunged for me. They were put down by Zoro and Arsene.

"Here I go!" I used the horse's fallen bodies as stepping stools for me to leap in the air and land a series of critical hits on the Red Knight. It slouched on its stead, weakened.

"Take it away, Akira." I flipped backwards as he jumped forward.

We winked as we passed each other.

"Arsene!" The bird-like gentleman cackled and its heeled foot pierced the knight's armor. It fell off its stead and landed with a mighty bang.

Akira loomed over the fallen Shadow.

"I am…a loyal subject…of the glorious King Kamoshida…so why have I lost?!" The Red Knight wheezed.

"It just proves that Kamoshida ain't anything special." Ryuji snapped hatefully.

The Red Knight and all the other Shadows vanished. The group took a moment to recuperate.

Shadow Kamoshida came out from behind the banister to angrily proclaim. "I told you that this is my castle! It seems you still don't understand!"

The bluffing was getting annoying.

"Oh, shut up…" Ryuji trailed off and his eyes bulged as the skimpy princess latched on to Shadow Kamoshida's arm. "W-What, Takamaki?"

Morgana loudly meowed. "What a meow-velous and beautiful girl!"

Akira coughed bashfully from the girl's bikini. "I'm so jealous…" He whispered.

"Boys." I scoffed, mildly jealous.

No one ever reacted that strongly when I entered a room. Morgana certainly didn't go into a frenzy when it met me.

The little traitor!

"I brought the reinforcements just like you asked King Kamoshida." Princess Skimpy giggled without a care.

"Good girl." Shadow Kamoshida stroked her cheek.

"Hey! Let go of her, you perv!" Ryuji demanded with a hot face.

Shadow Kamoshida gravelly sighed.

"How many times must I tell you until you understand? This is MY castle- a place in which I can do whatever I want. Everyone wishes to be loved by me." The predator sneered at Ryuji. "That is everyone besides slow-witted thieves like you."

More Shadows stormed into the room.

My stomach dropped. The likelihood of us withstanding another fight was low.

"Takamaki! Say somethin'!" Ryuji looked to Princess Skimpy for help.

She glared at him like he was an annoying bug she couldn't get rid of.

"Calm down, Ryuji! It seems like that girl isn't the real one. She's the same as those slaves- a being made from Kamoshida's cognition of her!" Morgana reminded.

"That's really…degrading." My annoyance with the girl shifted towards pity.

To have a grown man view you as a sexual icon was revolting. The nature of their relationship in reality couldn't be a good one.

"We're outnumbered. Let's scram before they take us out!" Morgana advised after the Shadows started closing in.

"We're not gonna do anything and just run?!" Ryuji protested, drunk on the feeling of invincibility that Personas emitted.

"We can't die here. Running is our best option." Akira touched Ryuji's shoulder.

The fight died out in the new Persona User.

"Fine." He acknowledge. "We'll expose what you really are, no matter what! You better be ready for us!" Ryuji promised before running.

Shadow Kamoshida's insane laughter echoed throughout the halls as we made our escape.

* * *

**Take your time**

* * *

"Ow, ow, ow." I whimpered, slumping forward onto my knees after Akira finished applying the oversized band-aid on my back.

The venture in the Palace had left a myriad of bruises on both of us.

After we grabbed a bite to eat with Ryuji and chatted about our pasts, we stopped by the convince store to pick up medical supplies. The worst of my injuries was the broken skin on my hands from using the broadsword.

The gloves only provided so much protection. I'd have to break the blade in with blood, sweat, and tears like any piece of equipment.

"All done." Akira informed morosely.

I tugged my shirt down and turned around to face him.

"What's up? Why're you down?" I nudged him with my foot.

"Your back looks terrible…" The tremble in his voice didn't align with the cool look on his face.

"I don't understand why that's bothering you. You've got bruises too…"

He shook his head.

"It bothers me because my decision to help Ryuji led to you getting hurt…I'm the older brother…I'm supposed to keep you out of danger and instead I did the opposite." His glasses were pushed up as he rubbed his eyes. "I was so arrogant to think nothing bad would happen…"

The fatal flaw reared its head. Being kind had its consequences, but ultimately I wouldn't change that about him.

I scooted over on my bed so that I was shoulder to shoulder with my brother.

"I chose to go with you, knowing I was putting myself in danger cause I wanna look after you, too. Don't blame yourself for any injuries I got. Half of them are because I'm such a novice with a sword." I jumped up and mimicked holding the broadsword. "Did you see how giant it was?! The sword's as long as me. But it does devastating damage when it hits."

Akira's lips tugged up mirthfully from the deflection.

Siblings caused trouble for each other all the time and had to clean up each others' messes. That was a fact.

We had to have each other's backs. Dad instilled that lesson in us from his own experiences as the middle child.

"It is pretty intimidating…and slight funny when you almost tip over from your swings."

I pointed the imaginary blade at his nose. "It won't be funny after I learn how to use it. Give me a few more tries."

"So…you're okay with going back there?"

"More or less. I'm confident that we'll be alright with our Personas…and Ryuji's crying sealed the deal for me. That teacher really messed him up…" I waved away the errant dust that was getting in my eyes. I wasn't crying! The attic's dust always interfered in the conversations at the wrong time. "The castle still creeps me out. Every time we go in, we discover more horrors. What a disturbed man Kamoshida is."

"Ditto. What he did to Ryuji was horrible." Akira's phone beeped and he looked at the screen. "Speak of the devil."

He started rapidly texting.

"Looks like my brother managed to make a friend. Aw, I'm so proud."

He ignored my teasing and instead asked for my phone. I unlocked it and handed it over without a second thought.

"You really do have it. That makes three people who have this eyeball icon." Akira showed me the red app on my phone that matched his. "We were able to get to the palace because of it."

The eery app made me think of the cryptic old man. "D-Do you think this is what Igor meant? Ryuji was an asset to you in the Palace."

Akira looked discomforted by the notion. "Maybe…but how can he manipulate things like this? Who and what is he?"

"Let's not rack our brains over those answers."

"You're right. I'm exhausted because of the Metaverse…I'm going to bed." He handed me back my phone.

I shuffled my feet, debating on sharing a concern of mine.

It was Akira I was talking to, he wouldn't mind.

"I know I might not always get things right away, and you sometimes think I'm an alien cause of my lack of common sense…but I'm always willing to listen, Akira. You're my brother and I want to understand you." I smiled brightly and continued at his startled expression. Akira was a teenager like me, he didn't have to shoulder everything alone. "When things get crazy you can drop the cool guy act and depend on me. I won't judge you for being human."

Akira returned my smile and pulled me in for a grateful hug.

Everyone expected him to be perfect, but I expected him to be an imperfect and faulty young man. My eyes caught sight of a blue butterfly on Akira's shoulder.

It vanished in a blink.

**"I am thou, thou art I. Thou hast acquired a new vow. It shall become the wings of rebellion that breath thy chains of captivity. With the birth of the Aeon Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power."** A soft voice uttered from somewhere.

My eyes roamed around the room apprehensively.

"Umm, d-did you hear that?" I stuttered, wondering if I was losing my mind.

Akira patted my shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry. Ryuji and I heard that voice earlier and nothing abnormal happened…must be another odd detail of our lives."

He still looked around the room for the source of the voice. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, we returned to our beds and carried on like everything was normal.

Too many weird things were happening…I was genuinely concerned for the state of my sanity.

* * *

**Take your time**

* * *

"Welcome to my Velvet Room. I thought about resuming our previous conversation tonight. That is why I have summoned the two of you." Igor greeted us from his desk, tapping away at the wood.

Chains rattled from Akira and I approaching the bars.

Caroline and Justine spared us backward glances. Their gazes were chillier than the blue mist circulating in the prison.

Talk about a warm reception. What did we do to piss off the Warden Twins?

"What are your thoughts? Are you becoming accustomed to this place?"

"Yeah, among other things." Akira answered honestly.

"And you?" Igor's eyes flickered with mirth as he addressed me.

As much as I didn't want to admit it, something about this prison felt oddly natural to me…I had a feeling that Igor in all his omnipotence, already knew how I felt and was poking fun at me…but why?

"Feels like home." Was my deviant response.

It amused the old man.

"More than you know." He chuckled deeply. "It seems both of you have nerves of steel."

Igor uncrossed his legs and adopted a more serious air. "The rehabilitation determines if ruin can be stopped. Yet, such a feat cannot be done by you alone, Akira…but today, you entered a partnership with two people whom awoke to the same power, haven't you?"

"A partnership? Are you talking about Ryuji…and my sister?"

The voice did mention something about a vow…and the Aeon Arcana. What the hell was that?

"Involving yourself with others is an important foundation for your recovery. You've done well." Igor clapped.

The apparent praise didn't sit well with the Warden Twins, they sent us another set of frosty glares.

"That said, I am not advising the formation of superficial relationships. It must not be of frivolity, but a ring of those who would, by morals or faith, lend you their strength. In other words, they are bonds with those who have been robbed of their places to belong. The expansion of said ring will, in return, help you mature as well." He finished his long monologue and waved for Justine to finish the rest.

"Personas are the strength of heart. The stronger the bonds that surround you, the more power your Personas will gain." She obediently explained.

Caroline, not wanting to be left out, added in her two-cents. "There are countless people in the city who have talents that a weakling like you doesn't. You better rack that noggin of yours and get them on your side. We'll change that into power."

"Involve more people in this craziness? I don't think that's going to fly." I objected.

Caroline growled and struck my cell with the baton fully powered on to stun. I fell on my butt from the electric shock while she seethed. "Shut up, Inmate! No one gave you permission to speak!"

"Why you little!"

"What're you doing to my sister?!"

"Enough." Igor spoke over the noise.

Caroline flinched and retreated back to her spot. She scowled after Justine sent her an admonishing frown for causing a scene in front of their master.

One of these days I was going to beat Caroline with her own baton!

"You should be prepared to use even myself, or your ambitions will not come to fruition." Igor offered his services to Akira.

"I-If you say so…" He diplomatically accepted, realizing how foolish it would be to turn down any of these psychotically, mysterious beings.

Igor laughed and drummed his fingers on the desk. "We have a deal then."

His laughter took on a darker edge.

"I don't know what you're expecting from me."

I wondered, did Akira hear the voice again? Was that blue butterfly apart of this too?

Wait…did the voice come from the butterfly? I saw it and then I heard the voice…what the hell?!

"Well, you will understand it all in due time…continue devoting yourself to your rehabilitation." Igor looked at me as an afterthought. "And continue assisting him to his true potential. You might even discover something exceptional yourself."

What was he talking about?!

"This conversation's over! Get lost, Inmates!" Caroline proclaimed just as the bell rung.

Goodbye to you too, Psycho Loli! May I never see you again!

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: There are mentions of rape and abuse in this chapter. I apologize if this cause any unwanted triggers in any of the readers.

"Guess who." I teased.

My hands covered the eyes of my second favorite male. A chuckle escaped his lips.

"Judging by how far back I'm being pulled from the height difference, I'm guessing my assailant is Homura Kurusu."

I giggled, removing my hands and letting him turn around.

"It's been forever, Goro Akechi."

"Indeed it has." He smiled charmingly, brown hair framing his face nicely.

Goro had grown from the gangly, messy-haired child I'd met at the playground.

That lonely boy would sit on the bench and watch the other children playing, never engaging any of them. One day I decided to forgo playing with Akira to speak with the strange boy, as if something pulled me to him.

I was such an awkward child at that point that the conversation didn't go well. Goro would've run for the hills if Akira hadn't intervened and pleaded my case. Goro was hesitant, but warmed up to us after an entire day of playing.

We were three peas in a pod from that day on.

"It's unfortunate that Akira couldn't join us." Goro's disappointed voice drew me out of my reverie.

"He was drained from school and decided to go straight home. Maybe you two can hang another day." I adjusted my bag and stepped closer to him, shrinking from the influx of people scrambling for the trains.

I had decided to meet up with Goro at Shibuya as soon as school ended.

This outing was exactly what I needed after the bombshell Morgana dropped on us. It showed up in the real world as an actual cat and gave us a solution to our "Kamoshida Problem". The solution involved the Metaverse and had the possibility of killing the gym teacher because a person couldn't live without desires.

Freaking cat.

I didn't want murderer added to my record…but Kamoshida needed to be stopped…

What a choice the cat left us.

"I see…so school life isn't going well for the two of you, I take it?"

"No. Somehow everyone knew about our records…things have been dicey with the students and teachers." I shared with a mild frown.

I experienced my first instance of bullying at the volleyball rally.

A couple of third year girls cornered me in the locker room and "urged" me to stay away from their boyfriends. They wouldn't stand for a tramp like me whoring myself out to the third years.

I wanted to hurt those girls so bad, but I would've been immediately expelled. I couldn't solve my problems with violence.

"That's not possible, your record is private information." Goro held his chin in his hand, losing himself in thought and muttering. "Unless someone leaked it…but who would do that?"

"Hey, hey! I came here to escape my problems, not dwell in them." I whined and began tugging on Goro's school blazer. "Take me somewhere fun, Detective Prince!"

His cheeks turned bright pink. "Ah, haha…you've seen me on television?"

"I sure have. Akira and I managed to catch a rerun the other day and we nearly died from how fanatical your fangirls are." I giggled unapologetically behind my hands at the memory.

The fangirls were so over-the-top with their t-shirts and posters.

"That's all you got out of it? How unflattering." Goro's visage darkened and his maroon eyes dulled. "I'll have to speak to the producers about being more selective with the audience."

Taking pity on the dejected boy, I poked his cheek playfully. "I'm kidding, you were wonderfully eloquent and informative. The streets of Tokyo are much safer with you on the job, Goro."

He paused his pity-party for a moment, a flicker of surprise crossed his face. The expression quickly morphed into pleased embarrassment though as he chuckled.

"Thank you, Homura. That means a lot coming from you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're the star performer. All those plays and musicals you told me about must have required arduous work. Compared to you, I am quite the beginner."

"Does that make me your sempai?" I quipped, twirling a strand of hair around my finger.

Goro's eyes twinkled.

"I suppose it does. Now where would sempai like me to take her?" He extended his arm out of politeness and so we wouldn't get separated in the bustling crowd. I looped my arm through his and dramatically gestured ahead.

"Escort your master to a restaurant!"

"Homura, please don't say things like that in public. People will get the wrong idea." He reprimanded me with a tight smile that hid his rising irritation.

I huffed, tilting my chin up and imperiously commanded him. "Quiet fledgling, your master didn't give you permission to speak!"

He sighed. "Will you at least go back to the sempai moniker?"

"No."

Goro led me to an upscale restaurant that he frequented. He chose this place after vehemently turning down my suggestion of Big Bang Burger since it was near and cheap. I didn't understand why he detested the place so much.

We were seated at a secluded table in the back, far from the prying eyes of the other rich, snobby patrons. I felt nervous and fidgeted in my seat while Goro looked perfectly at ease, arranging his silverware to his liking and placing a napkin in his lap.

"You must come here often if you're not bothered by this atmosphere." I peaked over my menu, spotting some adults muttering about us.

"I do. I enjoy trying different dishes at the restaurants my coworkers suggest. This place happens to be a favorite of mine and the staff are very accommodating." He set his menu down and glanced worriedly at me. "But we can go somewhere else if you're uncomfortable."

"No, no. This is fine." I turned him down, forcing myself to relax and enjoy spending time with my best friend. "You're such a charmer, bringing me to a place like this. Is this where you bring all your girls?"

Goro didn't miss a beat and easily replied. "Actually, you're the first girl I've brought here."

The admission caused a flutter in my stomach.

A waiter approached the table and took our orders. As we waited for our food, Goro and I talked mindlessly.

He told me about his move to Tokyo for high school and subsequent job success within the police force. The position started as an internship due to his good standing at school and developed into a full-time job once he proved himself a capable detective.

I insisted that Goro had to show me his office one day. The request wasn't outright denied, the detective wasn't sure if his superiors would be alright with it, but he'd ask about since I was so interested.

The arrival of our food put a hold on Goro's tale of a previous bust.

The food looked exquisite, as expected from the price of the dish. Goro's genuine laughter at my starry-eyed expression earned him an adorable pout from me. It wasn't my fault that my parents didn't treat their kids to fancy dinners.

The last time we went out to dinner as a family was after Akira and I got into our previous high school. Our parents were shocked that I got in as well and decided a celebration was necessary.

I couldn't very well end up in a different school than my twin so I actually studied for the entrance exams. Astonishing, what a little extra effort could get me.

"That was amazing…Akira is lucky I'm bringing him some." I gushed, on cloud-nine as we walked the streets.

It was getting late. I needed to get back to Leblanc soon or Mr. Sakura would have a cow.

Goro stopped walking and I turned to see what the issue was. He blankly stared at the ground.

"Your living situation…it's up to standards, right? You two aren't being mistreated, are you?" He looked up, jaw clenched and red eyes holding back pain.

Oh, Goro.

He took my silence as confirmation when it was really a moment of empathy. "I can look into getting your living situation changed. It might take some time, but I'll see it through."

I grasped his arm to stop his diatribe. "We may live in an attic, but it's fine. And Mr. Sakura is gruff, but not unkind."

Our lives took a turn, but our home life was nothing like Goro's experience in foster care…he never really talked about that…or his mother...

Instead, the stories I'd read online about foster life made me want to hug him and never let go.

Goro tentatively held my hand. "That's…reassuring. Don't hesitate to say something if things ever get out of hand."

This had gotten too real. Teenagers shouldn't be worrying about these things.

"I promise you'll be the first person I run to for help, Detective Prince." I joked. Goro sputtered from the abrupt mood change. "You should come up with your own theme song. I could help you with that if you want. Singing is one of my talents as a performer."

"It sounds like you're trying to turn me into some tv character." He fussed.

I grinned, nodding to myself. "That's not a bad thing. You're pretty enough to star in a mystery show. Think about it. Ratings would be through the roof for 'Detective Prince: Goro Akechi'."

My words were having the opposite effect on Goro. He blanched like I'd told him something gross.

"Why are you making that face?! I'm giving you gold here, buddy." I tugged harder on his coat.

"Let me escort you home. It's getting dark and a girl like you shouldn't be walking home alone." Goro treated my tugging like it was nothing and walked forward with me trailing behind him.

Why was he brushing off my awesome idea?!

"Isn't this inconvenient? I'll be okay on my own." I walked faster to keep pace with his longer strides.

He smiled kindly. "Don't worry. I live a few stops away from the cafe, it's not out of my way. Besides, I want to, Homura."

"O-Okay."

Having a crush on my best friend was a weird experience. Even more so now because I was interacting with Goro in person and not through a phone.

It was like getting to know him all over again…damn hormones.

We got on the train and huddled together near the doors where there was space. I used this time to text Akira and tell him I was on my way with dinner for him if he was hungry. He responded after a few minutes.

**Big Brother: I knew you loved me, sis. I'm famished.**

**Big Brother: I ran into Ann Takamaki after I got off the train. We ended up going to a cafe for drinks.**

I nearly squealed in shock. Akira went on a date with the girl that kinda disliked us?!

She'd confronted us after the volleyball match and was pretty hostile about us messing with Kamoshida. Her attitude changed my mind about approaching her.

At the very least, I wanted to know what her relationship with the gym teacher was since the man saw her as a sex icon. I assumed the relationship was a forced one…maybe I was wrong since she was so defensive about him.

"Is something wrong?" Goro curiously stole a glance at my phone.

"N-Nothing at all. Just my brother flirting with girls and going on dates." I vigorously shook my head.

"W-What?" That managed to shock Goro. He coughed and regained his composure. "I suppose he is at that age…"

The detective tilted his head down, shaggy hair hiding most his face. "Are you…have you gone on any dates?"

There goes that funny feeling in my stomach again.

"No, unless you count our dinner."

He softly sighed, head rearing back up and his lips tugged up in a radiant grin. I swore I could see sparkles circulating around him.

What the hell?!

"That's good to hear. As Akira's good friend, it's my responsibility to keep any unsavory boys away from you when he's not available." He said with a nod.

"Thanks, Goro. Good looking out." I deadpanned and returned to texting on my phone. He was taken back by my shortness.

That wasn't the answer I hoping for.

**Homura Kurusu: What made her talk to you? She was pretty gung-ho about our plans for Kamoshida failing.**

**Big Brother: Kamoshida has been pressuring her for sex. I overheard her talking on the phone to him and she broke down after I confronted her. That's why we were at the cafe.**

**Homura Kurusu: That sick asshole! I knew he was a full-blown predator!**

**Homura Kurusu: This makes me so mad! :( I feel like pulling a Ryuji and punching something.**

**Big Brother: I hear you. Something has to be done about that man.**

I slid the phone back into my blazer as the train arrived at Yongen-Jaya. We exited in silence and I led Goro to Leblanc.

"So this is where you stay." He admired the coffee shop.

The sign had been flipped to closed, though the store lights were still on. The old man was most likely waiting on me.

"Feel free to stop by for coffee one day or to visit us. I'm sure Mr. Sakura won't object to us having company over." I offered and the detective promised to come visit. "Thanks for dinner. I had fun."

I moved to enter Leblanc, only to stop and face Goro when he called my name.

"I have something for you."

"What? Really?!" I stood in front of him, waiting with baited breath as he dug in his bag for the item.

"I thought long and hard about your welcoming gift and I decided that this was perfect for you." Goro held an odd stuffed animal out to me.

The "bear" was dressed in a red and white suit and had blue fur. I gingerly took the gift from him and eyed the animal's dopey smile with disinterest.

"That bear is a limited edition toy called 'Teddie'. He's a little odd at first glance, but he's one of a kind, just like you, Homura. I hope you like it. I felt a normal stuffed animal wouldn't suit you."

My eye twitched.

A part of me wanted to scream how uncute this bear was and that Goro had terrible taste on par with my dad when he tried to buy me something he thought was cute.

However, the apprehensiveness in his smile and his heartfelt reasoning won out and instead of sharing my real thoughts, I hugged Goro and profusely thanked him for the gift.

He tensed from the sudden contact. I could hear how fast his heart was beating.

"I-I'm glad you like it so much…" Goro awkwardly returned the hug, as if he'd forgotten how.

I laughed into his chest from how mortified the boy was from a little show of affection. My laugh was tinged with a little sadness too, on his behalf.

"Homura, you can let go now. People are staring." I held on tighter to him and continued laughing as he flailed about. His hands landed on my shoulders and gently tried to pry me off. "H-Homura! Any of these people could call the police and complain about indecent teenagers in the street."

I reluctantly let go.

"Party pooper."

The detective ran his hand through his hair and readjusted his blazer, recomposing himself. The effort would have worked if his cheeks weren't so pink.

Yeah, I did that. I flustered the great Goro Akechi.

"Good night, Homura. I'll see you soon." He waved goodbye to me as I entered Leblanc.

The bell chime signaled my arrival and Mr. Sakura looked up from the crossword puzzle he was working on. He scowled at me.

"You're later than Akira. Where have you been?"

I crossed my arms and blatantly fibbed. "The Red-Light District."

The old man choked on air and dropped his crossword puzzle.

His glasses almost fell off from how fast he sprung out his seat. "Don't gimme a lie like that! What goes through your head, girl?! You do know you're on probation for underage prostitution? You shouldn't joke around like that."

"That I enjoy sending old people's blood pressures through the roof." I cheekily brushed my hair behind my shoulder.

People had already begun to think the worst about me. What was the difference if one more person did?

"You're a sadistic, little brat." Mr. Sakura rubbed his forehead. "I already explained this to your brother so I'll stress this even more with you. Stay away from any bad influences. Your life's already in ruins, don't make it worse by having destructive friends."

"Yes, Mr. Sakura. I understand." I droned.

"Just Sojiro will do. And next time don't stroll in here so late. Have some consideration for how I have to stay up here waiting for you." He grumbled.

First names, eh?

Sojiro tugged off his apron and put it behind the counter before leaving the cafe with a stern "behave" thrown my way. I went into the kitchen and warmed Akira's food up.

When I got upstairs, my brother was comfortably lounging in his bed. He sat up and greeted me.

"What was with the yelling? You didn't get in trouble, did you?"

I set my bag on the couch and handed the container to him.

"I got chewed out for being late, that's all."

"Alright. I don't see why he yelled at you…well you did get here an hour after me…" The rest of Akira's sentence went unsaid as he drooled from the aroma wafting in his nose from opening the container. "This looks great."

"I know and it's as good as it looks."

It was cute to see Akira react the same way I had, it proved how similar we were.

"I bet you were on cloud-nine from the combination of good food and Goro." Akira teased in between bites. "This must have been really pricey." He mumbled pensively.

"It was." I acknowledged.

"You didn't make him pay for my portion too, did you?"

"No. I used the money we earned from the Metaverse. I'm not a complete brat, you know."

"Yeah, I know. Maybe only seventy-five percent of the time."

"Maybe I should've let you starve."

"I love you, sis." Akira beamed angelically.

"I don't love you right now, bro." I fired back an equally sweet smile, dripping with hidden malice.

"Harsh…" He finished eating and thanked me for the food.

His phone went off as he got up to dispose of the trash.

I hunkered down on the couched started doing my homework while Akira typed away on his phone.

"Do you think Kamoshida deserves to die?" Akira broke the silence with a heavy question.

The lead broke on my pencil as my hand swerved.

I swallowed anxiously. I knew what my answer was and I knew Akira wouldn't like it.

"Yes." I whispered.

As I expected his face twisted with displeasure and he gripped his phone harder.

"He's done repugnant things to many people and he's utterly unapologetic about it. At the rate Kamoshida's going, it won't be long before he crosses another line."

And I had a more personal reason for wishing him ill. That man, or a darker part of him tried to violate me in the Palace.

The Shadow was a reflection of Kamoshida that he didn't want anyone to see…that meant he was willing to force himself on someone.

What if…what if he'd done that to someone already?

"I understand everything you're saying and a part of me agrees with your reasoning…" Akira took off his glasses and squeezed the bridge of his nose. "But, it's still someone's life we're talking about…what right do we have to take it away? We'd be doing something wrong to stop someone else from doing wrong. Does that make us any better?"

I had no right answer to his questions.

Any answer I gave would be childish or selfish. I couldn't reflect and analyze as deeply as my brother.

Akira exhaled deeply before chuckling. "Stealing Kamoshida's desires…can we really do it?"

"We'll find out soon enough."

* * *

**Take your time**

* * *

"That hurts!" The blue-haired boy whimpered from Ryuji shoving him against the wall.

Mishima cowered as the three of us cornered him.

Things had gotten out of hand. A girl tried to commit suicide!

"Why'd you run like that? Huh?!" Ryuji demanded.

Akira had to grab ahold of his shoulder to prevent the delinquent from shouting in Mishima's face.

"I didn't run…" He weakly denied.

Mishima's behavior riled Ryuji up more. It took both Akira and I holding on to his arm to stop him from taking his misplaced anger out on the volleyball player.

"Suzui jumped and tried to kill herself!" He raged in our arms.

The volleyball player slammed his fists against his head and fervently shook his head.

"L-Leave me alone…" He squinted away tears.

I yanked Ryuji back and told him to cool off. He chilled out and focused on his breathing while Akira took the lead and approached the bruised, sobbing boy.

"Mishima, if you know anything at all, please tell us. Tell us so something like this won't ever happen again." My brother implored softly.

The gentler approach worked better than intimidation and the boy got his crying under control.

"We're not doing this to hurt you. We just need answers." I added and then nudged Ryuji.

He groaned and scratched his head, mildly apologetic for his behavior. "Hey man, we ain't tryin' to get you busted. We won't say you talked either."

The encouragement got through to Mishima.

"Suzui…" He muttered before breaking down into a fresh batch of tears. "She was called out by Mr. Kamoshida!"

The confession shocked the three of us.

Words spilled like water from Mishima's lips as he shared his secret. "I was called by him a number of times too…to the teacher's room. It wasn't just me or Suzui either. He'd nominate someone when he was in a bad mood…and hit them."

"Another bombshell…" I covered my face.

Line after line. This man held no regard for the students.

"So the physical punishment thing was for real." Ryuji spat hatefully.

"Yesterday, he called Suzui out of the blue. She didn't make any mistakes or anything…Mr. Kamoshida seemed really irritated that day so it must've been…worse than usual…"

"He didn't?!" A hand latched on to my unoccupied one.

I removed my hand from my face and glanced down. Akira had grabbed onto me and was deathly pale.

"I caused this…"He said so lightly that I almost didn't catch it.

I ignored Ryuji's loud expletive and the abrupt exit of him and Mishima, focusing primarily on my petrified brother.

I made him look me in the eye before speaking. "Of course you didn't. Don't be stupid, Akira."

"Yes, I did." He insisted. "I told Ann not to go to Kamoshida's apartment. He must've called Suzui to…"

The word "rape" lingered in the air uncomfortably. My stomach dropped.

"He did that to Suzui to get back at Ann…a-and I caused this…" Akira trembled with guilt and his head lowered onto my shoulder. "Why would he do this?"

"Bro…" I held his head and rubbed soothing circles on his back. "You listen to me, Akira Kurusu. This is no one's fault but Kamoshida's. Don't you dare blame yourself."

How many girls had that man defiled? How many boys had he injured?

Kamoshida was a monster!

"Umm, excuse me." Mishima's subdued voice broke us out of our moment. He poked his head into the room. "Sorry. I tried to stop him, but Sakamoto's gone to find Mr. Kamoshida."

"That's not good. With how riled up he is, he's likely to sock the perv in the face."

Akira removed himself from my shoulder.

"We have to catch up to him. Ryuji could get expelled for violence." He aimed his next question at Mishima. "Where's he headed?"

"To the PE faculty office on the second floor."

"Can you take us there?"

Mishima nodded and we followed him.

The students were too busy gossiping about Shiho Suzui's suicide attempt to pay attention to three students running in the hallways. We burst through the PE faculty office just as Ryuji was going off on Kamoshida.

"What are you talking about? I did nothing." Kamoshida dismissed the deliquent with a flippant wave.

"Don't play dumb with me!" Ryuji kicked a chair into the whiteboard with a volleyball play on it. The board tittered and the gym teacher jumped up to stop it from tipping over.

"That is enough!" He roared.

"What you did…" All eyes turned to Mishima. He flinched from the attention, but continued speaking. "Wasn't coaching!"

"What did you say?" The gym teacher glared fiercely at Mishima, who instinctively recoiled and shielded himself by wrapping his arms around his midsection.

How many times had Kamoshida hit Mishima that the boy had a reaction like that?

"You…you ordered me to call Suzui here…I can only imagine what you did to her!"

"You're going on and on about things you have no proof of…" The gym teacher stalked up to our group.

Ryuji and Akira took a step forward, leaving me and Mishima safe in the back from the teacher.

Kamoshida sneered at them and raised his voice to intimidate his target. "Basically, you're simply making these claims because you can't be a regular on the team, right?"

"That's not what this is about!"

"Even if it is exactly as you imagine it to be, hypothetically speaking…what can you do?" The gym teacher's ugly sneer switched to a smug grin. "We just received a call from the hospital. Suzui's in a coma and her chances of recovery are slim…how would someone like that make a statement?" He sighed in fake concern and shook his head. "There's no chance of her getting better, I hear…the poor girl."

"No…that can't be…" Mishima's eyes became misty.

This wasn't right. This man was treating Suzui's actions like they were nothing.

"You goddam bastard!" Ryuji's fist trembled.

Kamoshida scoffed at him.

"This again? Does this mean we need to have yet another case of 'self-defense'? Or maybe I could run with the other story you so graciously supplied?" He taunted a confused Ryuji.

"What are you talking about?!"

"You admitted to talking to Suzui before she attempted suicide." Kamoshida started weaving a fabricated lie to slander Ryuji and cover himself. "Suzui couldn't bear your continuous acts of bullying anymore, that's why she tried to kill herself by jumping off the rooftop. That's what happened."

Ryuji lost his shit. "The hell are you playing at, you son of a bitch?!"

His fist went flying. Akira's arm whipped out to stop him, much to Ryuji's frustration.

"Don't let him get to you. That's a lie that no one will believe." My brother reasoned.

"But still!"

"Don't Ryuji. Forget expulsion, you could end up in jail for assaulting a teacher." My words got through to him and he lowered his fist.

"Oh? You two managed to stop him. What a surprise." The gym teacher's astonishment was fleeting and he went back to arrogantly posturing. "Little good it'll do any of you. Between a couple of problem kids and a star medalist, it's clear who people will believe."

He turned his back on us and casually sat back down. "Everyone present right now…will be expelled. I'm reporting all of you at the next board meeting."

We all loudly protested.

"You can't make a decision like that!" Mishima panicked.

Kamoshida started writing on a piece of paper, disregarding the shout. "Who would seriously consider what scum like you say? You threatened me too, Mishima, so you're just as responsible."

"He did nothing. You have no reason to punish Mishima." Akira at least tried to save one person from the sinking ship.

"You're defending him?" The teacher swiveled in his chair, gaping at my brother. "Are you loose in the head?"

"I know the concept's hard to understand for a guy like you, but some people don't like seeing others get trampled on." I defended Akira.

Kamoshida started laughing for some reason. When the laughter died down, he stared at Mishima like he was trash.

It was unsettling how similar he acted like his Shadow. How did anyone buy that "nice guy" act of his?

"To think you didn't know why I kept someone so talentless as you on the team. You act like you're a victim, but you leaked the twin's criminal records, didn't you? It's all over the internet, correct? How terrible."

"You…" I uttered, turning towards Mishima. Unpleasant feelings of betrayal churned my insides. "It was you that ruined our reputations? You lying, little, snake!"

I'd become the school whore again because of this boy!

It was his fault that I'm considered dirty by the students and staff. I couldn't go anywhere in the school without hearing the whispering and getting looks of disdain.

It drove me up the wall!

"K-Kurusu…" Mishima stuttered, backing away from me and falling to his knees. "I-I'm s-sorry. He told me to do it. I had no choice…"

"Everyone has a choice and you chose wrong." My eyes stung from how emotional I was getting.

"Homura, stop it." Akira rebuked me for my mistreatment of the snake.

Mishima bowed his head and muttered apology after apology to both Akira and I. Kamoshida laughed merrily from the drama he caused.

"Now, are we finished here? You're all expelled and I've got a report to write for the staff meeting." He spun back to his desk, pen scratching against the paper. "You're done for; your futures are mine to take. Now get out of my office."

"I can't believe this asshole's gettin' away with this!" Ryuji bitched, yanking Mishima to his feet and dragging the boy out the office.

We were right behind him.

"He'll eat his words." I vowed with clenched fists, grimacing from the pain originating from the scabs hiding beneath my gloves.

"Let's do it." Akira was on the same wavelength and agreed with me.

"Huh? Do what?"

"The castle." We whispered together.

"Oh right. We have that!" Ryuji grinned ferally.

We were going to steal Kamoshida's desires.

* * *

**Take your time**

* * *

"Alright! Time to bust on through!" Ryuji pumped his fists in the air and walked towards the castle.

"What is this?!" A shrill scream made him trip over his own feet.

Akira's quick reflexes saved Ryuji from face-planting.

Ann Takamaki ran towards us, head frantically whipping around to take in the supernatural scenery.

"How did she get here?" I asked, looking to Morgana for guidance.

It was too busy ogling Takamaki to give me the time of day.

I didn't know whether I should dislike her or give her a break. The girl puzzled me.

One second she was counseling us not to mess with Kamoshida, the next she was begging us to let her in on our payback scheme. I comprehended that she was on an emotional rollercoaster because of her friend's actions, but the contradicting behavior was giving me whiplash.

"Takamaki what're you doing here?!" Ryuji obnoxiously pointed in her face.

His hand was slapped away from her face.

"That voice…Sakamoto?!" She gasped and looked at my brother and I. "And…are you two the Kurusu twins?!"

I could understand her skepticism. Our outfits were out of this world.

Akira opened his mouth to speak, but Ryuji beat him to it.

"Why are you here?" He repeated.

"How should I know?!" Her screaming got shriller. "What's going on? Where are we? Isn't this the school?"

"Could you lower your voice?! You'll alert the whole castle at this rate." I stopped Takamaki's rant.

She advanced on me and grabbed my shoulders, shaking me and demanding to know if this was real.

"Perhaps she was dragged in because of that app thing." I barely registered Morgana's conclusion when Takamaki was shouting in my ear about this being a prank. She froze as the cat went into lecture mode. "If multiple people can enter with the person who uses it, it stands to reason it'll pull anyone nearby."

"We'll have to be careful with the app from now on." Akira advised the group.

The girl snapped out of her stupor. "Wait, so THIS is related to Kamoshida?"

"You gotta leave, right now!" Ryuji pulled her off me and pointed at the exit.

"NO!" She stomped her foot, glaring hotly at him.

"The Shadows are going to find us if you make a scene." Morgana hissed and jumped in front of Takamaki.

She froze back up and shakily gestured at the cat. "No way! It talked?! Oh my god, it's monster cat!"

Morgana choked dramatically, pawing at its chest like it had been stabbed in the heart. "Monster…cat?!"

"There, there. It's just a misunderstanding, Morg." I took my chance to kneel and pat its head comfortingly.

Its head was covered by a mask, not fur. That answered an internal question I'd had since meeting the thing.

"Don't treat me like a pet." Morgana hissed feebly, leaning into my scratches.

How cute.

"You better explain what's going on! I won't leave until you do." Takamaki had taken ahold of Ryuji's scarf and was tugging on it.

"Help me out here, man!" He called on Akira.

"How do we get her out of here though?" My brother made no move to assist Ryuji, stuffing his hands in his pockets and smirking good-naturedly.

"Just take her back to where we came in. That's how it worked last time, right?" Morgana answered.

Akira nodded.

"Ryuji, let me lend you a hand." He placidly took ahold of Takamaki's arm.

"What're you?!"

Ryuji seized the other arm and the boys hauled her to the exit kicking and screaming.

"H-Hey, stop it!" Her eyes desperately sought mine for support. "You're Homura, right? Say something! I deserve to be apart of this!"

"Sorry, Takamaki. This is for your own good!" I waved goodbye to the girl.

"Hey! And just where are you two touching?!"

"Boys." I groaned, clutching my forehead.

Takamaki's shouts disappeared and the quiet atmosphere returned.

She was a lively one, almost on par with Ryuji.

"We better be careful from now on when we use that app." Ryuji ruffled his hair, still flustered from Takamaki's entrance.

"Akira already said that, genius." I reminded him.

"You should've checked the tools you used!" Morgana bounced high enough to whack Ryuji on the head. "Why do I- the one who was just watching know more about it than you do?!"

"Do that again and I'll clobber you, ya stupid, monster cat!"

Morgana's fur bristled.

"Fight, fight!" I spurred them on.

Who would win, I wondered? The cat or the delinquent?

"Cut it out, you two. Phantom Thieves don't fight one another." Akira broke up the fight.

Morgana and Ryuji turned their backs to the other.

"Aww, the babies are pouty because Papa Aki scolded them."

"Shuddup!"

"Homura, a lady like you shouldn't tease so much!"

I cackled at the two boneheads.

"Takamaki found out right when we were startin' off. We gotta deal with this fast." Ryuji stomped towards the castle in a huff.

"Lady Ann…" Morgana dreamily meowed, floating off after Ryuji.

The group stood beneath the infiltration point. Morgana hopped onto the barrel and grinned down at us, getting ready for a prep talk.

"Blondie's still an amateur so I'm counting on you two, Joker and Jester."

Blank stares was the response the cat received. It groaned, pointing at Akira and designating him "Joker". Then it pointed at me, designating me "Jester".

"Could you explain the reason for the name?" I inquired, not following its logic.

Did Morgana see us as jokes?

"Yeah, those are dumb nicknames." Ryuji stated with a snicker.

"Take a page out of Homura's book and don't refer to it in such a lame way. It's a code name." Morgana snapped its sharp fangs at Ryuji and waved its arms around. "What kind of stupid Phantom Thief would use their real name?! I'm not down for that! And there's no telling what kind of effect yelling our real names will have on the Palace."

"So why am I Joker?" Akira threw in after Morgana stopped to breath.

"Because you're our trump card when it comes to fighting strength."

"Not bad. But sis is the real powerhouse."

"She is and since she's your twin that's why I chose Jester, the equivalent to Joker."

I puffed my chest out at the abundant praise. My clumsiness with the broadsword didn't seem so bad when they put it like that.

Just wait until I master the blade. I'll be my own army in terms of strength!

"I accept your choice of code name, Morgana." I said with a pleased hum.

"It's settled." Morgana dragged its large eyes to Ryuji. "Next up is you. You'll be…let's see…" It stroked its chin. "How about 'Thug'?"

"Are you pickin' a fight with me again? I'll choose it myself!" Ryuji adopted a thinking pose. "Hmm…when it comes to me, it's gotta be this mask." He fiddled with the metal disguise. "Honestly, I actually kinda like it. What if we named me after this?"

"Fine…why not 'Skull' then?" Morgana appeared disappointed with the simple choice.

I giggled.

Simplicity suited a guy like Ryuji. He didn't put much thought into a lot of his actions anyway.

"Oh! That sounds awesome. I'm Skull!" He whooped childishly. "What do we do about this one's code name?" He jabbed his thumb in Morgana's direction.

"What do you think? Morgana seems picky." Akira tilted his head at me.

"I like 'Morg'…"

"Really? That's basically his name." He stonily remarked.

I poked him in the side and gleefully watched him rub the afflicted area. "What's your suggestion then, oh great leader?"

"I've got nothing." Akira diplomatically supplied.

Ryuji went with my theme and suggested. "How bout 'Mona'?"

"You're both suggesting your own mispronunciations of his name as code names…" Akira shook his head, abashed by our idiocy.

"If you guys think 'Mona' is easier, I'll go with it." Morgana decided tiredly. "From here out, we're Joker, Jester, Skull, and Mona. We need to be absolutely thorough about using those names from now on."

"Alright! Let's go nab this Treasure thing!" Ryuji hollered.

So began the Phantom Thieves' trial run.

* * *

**Take your time**

* * *

"Look, I'll apologize for touching the armor without permission!"

I could hear Takamaki's shouts from outside the door.

This hallway brought back memories of my own escape. I really didn't want to go inside.

"She totally doesn't get what's going on." Ryuji kicked the fallen suit of armor Takamaki had knocked over.

"Let's hurry! We have to save her." Morgana zipped over to the door and pushed it open.

"Wait, you guys should prepare yourselves." I stopped the boys from entering the next room.

"I'm good to go. Our energy is still at a good point." Akira checked with Ryuji, who gave a thumbs up in agreement.

"That's not what I'm talking about…" I struggled to voice what waited in the next room in a sensitive manner.

Morgana's startled meow caused the boys to ignore me and rush into the room.

Here we go.

"This is effed up…" Ryuji averted his eyes from the half-nude girls sprawled out on the floor. "Is that what he thinks of the girls on the volleyball team?"

"Probably what he thinks of all the girls at the school. It's like girls aren't even people to him." I swallowed down my disgust and steered clear of the girl's roaming hands.

The last time I'd been in this room they tried to drag me to the floor and were pulling at my clothes. Their actions were most likely a subconscious function given to them by Kamoshida.

We moved on from the antechamber into the main one where Kamoshida and Princess Skimpy had Takamaki restrained to a cross with guards surrounding her. More naked girls were laying on the ground and the room was pungent with an odd odor.

"Takamaki!" Ryuji ran forward, unconcerned with the swords leveled at him.

Shadow Kamoshida growled. "Just when I was about to start enjoying myself…"

"What's the deal with this guy?!" Takamaki struggled in place.

Ryuji was outraged by her predicament and cursed at the Palace Ruler.

"How many times are you gonna come back?" He spat and then pulled on Takamaki's pigtail, smirking at her derisively. "I bet you're just like those thieves. You came because you're pissed at me, huh? But, ah…" Shadow Kamoshida rolled his head, thinking deeply about something. "I forget that chick's name, but it's your fault she jumped, you know."

She gasped.

"You were so reluctant to throw yourself onto me that I had her take your place. She was passable as a runner-up for you."

I tilted from a wave of dizziness that overcame me. Akira steadied me with firm hands.

Oh my god.

He actually raped a student! A tiny part of me held out hope that he hadn't done it…

I felt sick.

"You bastard!" Takamaki screamed, snapping her teeth at Shadow Kamoshida's finger.

He leaned back before she could bite him. The guards aimed their swords at her neck. The boys moved to help.

"Take one more step and I'll kill her on the spot." The boys froze at the Ruler's threat. "Just sit back and enjoy the dismantlement show."

"No don't!" The girl pleaded.

Shadow Kamoshida rubbed his hands together, blushing like a perv. "Maybe I'll start with her clothes…this time I won't be interrupted." His beady eyes roamed over me. "After the scum are taken care of, you're next thief. We'll pick up where we left off."

Princess Skimpy giggled dumbly. "You're such a greedy perv!"

"What're we gonna do?! We can't let this bastard do as he pleases." Ryuji looked to Morgana and Akira for a plan of action.

They cautiously kept their eyes on the guards, formulating our next move.

My fingers itched to wield my weapon and bring it down Shadow Kamoshida. I wouldn't be satisfied until his disgusting face was kissing the ground and he begged for mercy.

"Is this…my punishment for what happened to Shiho?" Takamaki hung her in defeat, giving the guard easier access to her neck for a beheading.

"That's more like it. You should've looked like this from the start." Shadow Kamoshida smiled maniacally.

"Shiho…I'm so sorry…"

"What is up with you?! You sound as pathetic as my brother!" Takamaki looked up at my cry.

"Homura wha-" I slapped my hand over Akira's mouth.

"Suzui's actions are a result of that predator! Quit being a wimp and make him pay for it!"

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!

Akira snatched my hand off his lips. "What she said, only nicer. Don't give in, Ann!"

Her teal eyes sparked with life.

"You're right…letting this piece of shit toy with me…" Takamaki laughed darkly. "What was I thinking?!"

The Ruler butted in, trying to discourage the girl. "It's like I always say. Slaves should just behave an-"

"Shut up!" She shut him down. "I've had enough of this. You've pissed me off, you son of a bitch!"

The air in the room became heavy with power. Takamaki began convulsing and screaming.

It was another awakening and was reminiscent of mine!

"I hear you Carmen. You're right. No more holding back!"

A red mask appeared on Takamaki's face and she yanked her arms out of the restraints. With her hands free, she ripped off the mask. Blue flames exploded from her and a woman in a frilly red and black dress floated behind Takamaki. The blonde's clothes had been replaced with a bright red catsuit.

The boys' mouths dropped as she stole a guard's sword and cut down her doppelgänger. Shadow Kamoshida was sweating bullets while backing away from the girl.

"You know what? I'm not some cheap girl you can toy with, you scumbag!"

"Bitch!" He fired back.

"You stole everything from Shiho…you destroyed her…now it's your turn!" Our group assembled alongside Takamaki. "I will rob you of everything!"

"That's what I like to hear." I applauded Takamaki, readying my broadsword and ignoring the stinging in my hands.

"Sadist." Akira muttered beside me.

"Proud of it." I winked cheekily.

"How dare you! Enough of your insolence!" A bronze guard evaporated into a Shadow.

"No, I've had enough of you. No one's gonna stop me now! Let's go Carmen!" A whip materialized in Takamaki's hand and she gave it an experimental swing at the Shadow sitting on a toilet. It brushed off the attack.

"That's not gonna work! It's resistant to physical attacks!" Morgana cried out.

"Dammit. I'm useless in this fight then." I scowled.

Gloriana had a bless skill with a low likelihood of instantly killing a boss like this. Her weak physical skill wouldn't be much use either.

We weren't suited well for this battle.

"Homura hang back and focus on support. You and Ryuji will have to switch back and forth since this thing's resistant to you guy's skills." Akira ordered, shooting at the Shadow to cover Ryuji, who'd gotten knocked down.

"Roger that. Don't die, bro."

I jumped back, leaving the battle to the party of four.

The fight consisted of the Persona Users firing off their elemental skills to damage the toilet fiend, with Akira dealing out the most hits from him swapping out his Personas due his wild card ability.

Their teamwork was all over the place and I ended up switching with Ryuji after he and Takamaki wouldn't stop screaming at each other for any battle mishaps.

Only Takamaki's fire power proved lethal to the Toilet Fiend and we finished it off with an all-out-attack after she hit it with a crippling Agi.

"Oh shit!" Shadow Kamoshida fled the room.

Wait!" Takamaki moved to stop him and fell to her knees in exhaustion.

"It's no use. Cowards have super speed." I leaned against my sword and tried to catch my breath.

My arms and hands were screaming in agony from swinging around the heavy sword.

God, was I out of shape!

"Why'd you come here, man?! And more importantly, how?!" Ryuji ranted angrily.

Morgana bounced around.

"Hey! Is that how you speak to a woman?!" It leaned into Takamaki's face. "Are you alright, Lady Ann?"

"Lady Ann…" She started pulling at Morgana's face and stretching it this way and that. "What is this thing? Is it alive? How can it talk? And where in the world are we?!"

There she went again with the shrill questions.

Morgana meowed painfully and pawed at Takamaki's hands. Its words came out garbled. "J-Just calm down! Everything's going to be okay; don't worry."

She dropped Morgana and stood up. "How am I supposed to calm down?!"

"Easy. Stop yelling for one." I mentioned.

She faced me, lips moving to speak and then she stopped to stare at her body.

"Why am I dressed like this?! When did I…" Takamaki blushed, covering herself from the boy's gaze. "Ugh, what's with this?!"

"You've got no reason to be embarrassed about the outfit." I nudged my brother. "She looks great, doesn't she, Akira?"

He played with his hair timidly. "Ann does look great in that catsuit. Red compliments her."

"H-How can you say that with a straight face?!" Ryuji's face was even more enflamed than Akira's.

"That's not what this is about, pervs!"

"Well, I'm stumped…" Morgana scratched its head, unable to soothe the new Persona User. "A search party will be coming for us soon. There's no time to explain."

"Let's retreat then." Akira advocated.

"We were just gettin' fired up and you had to go and get in the way…" Ryuji complained, holding out his hand to Takamaki. "Here, gimme your arm." He told Akira to grab the other.

"Sis, use the app and take us back."

I retrieved my phone and clicked on the eye icon, choosing the exit button for us to return to reality. Ripples formed around us and the Metaverse faded into nonexistence.

Geez, what a day!

 


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey Homura, can I borrow your notes? I don't get the homework at all." Ryuji groaned, shifting in his seat to face me.

The other students whispered and pointed at us, the class troublemakers. Mr. Hiruta had ended class early and gave us a fresh load of biology homework to turn in by tomorrow.

"Should've paid attention in class then instead of texting, you slacker."

"You were texting too."

"Correction. I was texting and paying attention. You were entirely consumed with PT business."

"PT?" Ryuji's face scrunched up in confusion. A lightbulb went off in that little brain of his. "Oh! You mean Phan-"

Ryuji's sentence was cut off by me shoving paper into his mouth. He spat the paper out and sent me a dirty look for laughing at him.

"Not funny, Homura!"

I shushed him by handing the irate boy the notes he asked for.

"Sorry about that, but you can't go blurting things like that out loud, Ryuji. That's a surefire way of getting us caught."

"You could've just said so…paper taste gross, you know?" He grumbled and turned back around.

The two of us worked on our homework together till the end of class.

Ryuji needed a lot of help and re-explaining things without getting annoyed was a trial. Akira would've been better suited for this.

The bell rang, signaling the conclusion of the school day. The next stop for us was the rooftop for a Phantom Thieves' meeting.

The delinquent and I were just about to head up to the third floor when we were stopped by a group of female upper classmen.

It was those girls that cornered me in the locker room!

"So you're shacking up with the school delinquent? How typical." The leader of the bullies stepped forward with a sneer.

The girls behind her tittered.

I stared blankly at them, channeling my inner Akira and remaining aloof about the situation.

"Oh? Got noting to say, Ms. Harlot?"

"Are you for real? Who the hell do you think you are?!" Ryuji growled.

The girls squeaked in response to his aggression.

"I'm Izumo Goto, part of the student council and it's my job to keep the students in line." The leader haughtily introduced herself, flipping her hair. "So watch how you talk to me, Sakamoto. I could easily issue you a detention for crass behavior."

"Ryuji's response was caused by your own awful behavior." I pointed out, vexed by the chorus of giggling girls.

I didn't get how bullies liked having idiots around. I felt like I was losing brain cells just from listening to them!

"And who's going to report me?" Goto made a show of looking around at the other students that were watching, but doing nothing to intervene.

She smirked at us.

"No one, because I'm in charge." Goto got up close to me. "So listen up you whor-"

"What's going on here?" Akira's voice cut in.

Akira and Takamaki appeared, staring the group of girls down. The group of bullies tensed. Goto eyed my brother with equal distaste.

"Let's go, girls. No need to associate ourselves with the school outcasts." She flicked her hand and the girls obediently followed their leader.

"What was that about? Student Council members don't really bother with students unless there's trouble." Takamaki expected an answer from one of us.

A lie was on the tip of my tongue, but Ryuji went with the truth.

"Those chicks were being real bitches. Just walked up to us and started talking crap. I was tempted to smack the smirk off her face!"

"Ryuji!" Takamaki chastised.

"What? They called Homura a harlot and accused us of shacking up!"

I disregarded Takamaki's shocked gasp and looked at Akira, worried what his reaction would be.

I heavily downplayed things like this to him so as to not worry him. Stuff like this had happened at our old school and I had developed a way of handling stupid girls like them.

He got that cold look on his face and his eyebrows furrowed.

"It was nothing!" I shouted over Takamaki and Ryuji's heated words about the girls.

"But Homura, we can't just brush this aside. Girls are way worse than boys when it comes to bullying. Trust me, I know…" Takamaki's expression became glazed as she recalled a bad memory.

"Our meeting is more important." I maintained an air of nonchalance.

Ryuji and Takamaki stole a glance at Akira for the final say. He fixed his glasses. The light hitting them hid his eyes.

"Let's head up to the roof." Akira instructed.

The two blondes wanted to protest, but decided to let it go and headed upstairs. I attempted to follow their lead, but Akira took ahold of my arm. The glare had faded and his eyes radiated worry, the very thing I was trying to spare him off.

"You will tell me if it gets out of hand, won't you?"

I grinned, satified that he wasn't treating me like glass and letting me handle the matter like a mature teenager.

Not that I was mature in any way, but I could stand on my own from time to time.

"I will, bro. I'm surprised you're not going all overprotective-big-brother."

Akira shrugged. "I have faith in you, you're a big girl…and if I stick my nose into your business, you'd probably kick my butt."

"You're probably right."

He let go of my arm and we headed up to the roof now that the air was cleared.

My brother took his bag off and let Morgana out. The cat hopped onto a desk near Takamaki. I took a seat behind Morgana's spot and Akira propped himself up on the wall.

"Looks like we're all here. Okay, let's get this rollin'." Ryuji announced, sitting up in his chair.

"It's still too early for us to head to the Palace." Morgana shot him down.

It still blew my mind that a cat could talk in reality.

"But why? Don't we just gotta steal that Treasure thing?"

"Don't underestimate the dangers of that place. We need to prepare."

"Ain't that Persona shit we got enough to deal with it?"

Morgana sighed. "That's exactly what I mean when I say don't underestimate it. You'll die if you mess up in there. So again, we need to prepare before we head in."

"How exactly are we supposed to do that?" Takamaki kicked her feet in the air.

"I'm glad you asked, Lady Ann." The cat purred. "First, we'll need to find better equipment for all of you."

Ryuji cheered up. "You talkin' about weapons? I know a kick-ass place!"

"Is it the same place you got the model from?" I gently swatted Morgana's tail away from my face. It hissed at the contact, but calmed down when I started scratching along its back.

"Yup. The place has some cool stuff. The owner's a tight-wad though."

"In that case, Ryuji can handle the equipment." Morgana declared. "The only other thing would be stocking up on medicine. Fatigue is unavoidable in a Palace."

"Medicine, huh? The doctor we met could provide us with medicine." Akira uncrossed his arms and aimed his question at me. "Do you remember her name?"

I shook my head. "I think it started with a 'T' or something…all I remember is how edgy she dressed for a doctor and how you were drooling. Sojiro totally called you out for that!"

"So Akira really is a typical teenager? He seems so reserved…oh, but he was staring at me when we met…" Takamaki hummed in thought.

Akira's face went red and he anxiously played with his hair. "A-Anyway…"

Morgana came to his rescue.

"Don't worry about it. I know where the place is. I hope you look forward to it, Lady Ann!" She smiled politely at the cat, not getting why it was so fascinated with her. Morgana puffed out its chest. "Now then, the twins and I have some business in Yongen, so let's head off for today."

"Uh, what business? I've got things to do." I questioned.

Morgana's head whipped around.

"Just come with me! I won't be able to get close enough by myself."

A staring match ensued between Morgana and I. The match ended with me caving to the cat's adorableness.

"I guess everyone's got their assignments. Let me know when we're all meeting up again…I'm gonna go see Shiho before I head home." Takamaki slid off the desk and waved bye to the group as she left.

"I'm heading out too, gotta catch up on homework. My mom'll kill me if I flunk any of my classes this early." Ryuji groaned as he stretched out his upper body.

"Don't lose my notes, Ryuji. Or get anything weird on them." I reminded him.

"W-What do you take me for?! I'm not gonna use the notes for anything perverted! I got magazines for that!" Ryuji sputtered, cheeks red with humiliation.

"I wasn't insinuating anything perverted. Only that you shouldn't get food stains on my notes." I smirked wickedly. "But now we know what you do in your free time."

Ryuji got even redder and Akira muffled his snickers into his hand.

The blonde jabbed his finger in my direction and yelled at my brother. "Dude, control your sister!"

Akira stopped laughing and adopted an air of mock seriousness.

"Okay, Ryuji." he acknowledged, reaching over to pinch my cheek. "Behave, Homura. It's not nice to tease people about their activities."

"Uncle, uncle!" My protests were garbled due to Akira tugging on my cheek until Ryuji gave the okay that I'd been punished enough.

"You two are flipping nuts. I can't decide which twin is worse." Ryuji left, groaning about his taste in friends.

Morgana urged us to hurry up too. My brother and I left the school and took the train back to Yongen. The sky had turned a dusty orange by the time we arrived in front of a clinic.

Sojiro would be expecting us home soon.

The cat poked its head out of Akira's bag. "This is the clinic that the chief mentioned. How can we get her to give us some medicine?"

"We'll…make something up…" Akira mumbled hesitantly.

The concept of lying didn't sit well with him.

"I can do the talking if you want. Plus, I've got legitimate needs for the doctor to see to." I offered, removing my gloves to display my bandaged fingers. Some of the scabs had healed, but my delicate hands still were in an ugly state.

"Your ease and delight with lying is concerning, sis."

I whistled innocently while playing with my hair. "I'm a performer, my specialty is lying. I enchant audiences with my elaborate characters."

"I guess relying on Homura is the only choice we have. We'll just have to go for it." Morgana snuggled back into the bag.

"Let's do this then." Akira held the door open for me.

The inside of the clinic was rather small and sparse. The place looked like it didn't receive many visitors.

"Hello."

I faced the older woman sitting behind the counter. While she was dressed more professional this time, the doctor still sported a punkish style with her outfit choice.

"I feel like I've seen you somewhere before…" The doctor analyzed my face.

"You met my brother and I at Leblanc." I provided.

Akira uttered a well-mannered hello to the woman.

"Ah…the drooling boy and the cackling girl." I laughed at her observation while Akira blushed and muttered under his breath about bad first impressions. "Well, whatever…so what are you here for today?"

"I've got some abrasions on my hand from extracurriculars and my brother's been having nightmares." I fibbed easily.

Half-truths were the best route to go when trying to misinform someone. My hands did get injured during an after school venture and the visits to the Velvet Room could be considered nightmares.

The doctor either didn't buy my story or she didn't want to be bothered with two teenagers because she just apathetically stared through us, probably cursing her choice of profession.

"My nightmares have been frequent and I've been too lethargic to pay attention in class." Akira added to win over the woman.

"Fine. Please head to the exam room." She got up and motioned to us through the door. The doctor stood in front of the exam room, holding her clipboard to her chest. "Do you two want separate exams or can we kill two birds with one stone?"

Akira and I communicated nonverbally and came to a decision.

"A joint exam is fine." We answered together.

The doctor tilted her head, amusement briefly flickered across her face. "Very well. Please make yourselves comfortable."

I took a seat on the bed while Akira sat in the chair in front of the doctor.

The languid woman examined me first, asking a few questions about the origins of the scabs. I explained that they were from kendo class.

Akira had to cover his snort with an obnoxious cough.

Doctor Languid told me ointment would fix the abrasions and pain relievers would dull the pain. She moved on to Akira next and quickly diagnosed his problem to be stress and the solution to it would be pain relievers as well.

"I need to restock the pain relievers actually…" Doctor Languid frowned and wrote something on her clipboard. "Let's go with sleeping pills for Akira. Sleep is the best medicine anyway…and ointment for Homura." She finished writing and dragged her eyes to Akira. "Which kind of pill do you want, a sweet-tasting one or a bitter one?"

"I'd really like the painkillers if possible."

"How about a stinky one?" The doctor completely bulldozed over Akira's request.

"I, at least need the painkillers, doctor. Can't you prescribe them for me? I can wait until you're fully restocked."

Doctor Languid set her clipboard down and leaned forward on her knees.

"Alright, why don't we stop beating around the bush…" The makeup around her eyes heightened the intensity of her glare. Akira faced the brute of it since his argument was the weakest. "You're not sick at all, are you? I'm not as dumb as I look, you know? Did you put your sister up to this?"

Akira shrunk back from the harsh interrogation.

Wow, this was a first! Akira was the one getting the third-degree and not me.

"No M'am!" He denied, sweating profusely and tugging at his collar.

"Are you a pill-popper? Thought you'd double up on pills by stealing your sister's supply?"

"No!"

"He's not a junkie. We're just regular teenagers." I threw in, aiding my brother and stopping the doctor's off-the-mark inquires.

She sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I'm guessing you're both here because you heard the rumors about me, huh?"

"Are the rumors true?" Akira tried the honest route since his fibbing wasn't fooling the doctor.

"Who's to say? But as a result, all I get are patients with ulterior motives now." Doctor Languid picked her clipboard back up. "I guess high school kids have it tough nowadays too, huh?"

"We do, so could have pity on us, Miss?" I implored, imitating innocent as best as I could.

She clicked her pen for a few seconds, studying my brother and I. "Fine. I'll prescribe some medication. But only medication that will help recover health for Akira...the painkillers will have to wait."

My brother relaxed. Our goal had been more or less accomplished.

"I guess it's fine. You both seem pretty earnest and don't look like trouble magnets…this is my private practice. All the medicine I dispense is original. I have a license to make my own formulas. You've likely seen them being sold at various hospitals. It's you kids' responsibility to take care of yourselves. So if that's alright, stop by any time."

"That'll really help, thank you, doctor." Akira bowed his head respectfully.

"Great. It's nice that you're so quick on the uptake…saves me the hassle." Doctor Languid leaned forward again. "You're a pretty weird kid, you know? I wonder what you're going to use the medicine for…"

"Nothing illegal, M'am."

Not true, bro. I was pretty sure our activities in the Metaverse could be considered illegal.

"Well, as long as you don't cause me any trouble, it's not my problem…take a look at my inventory while I treat your sister." She grabbed a few things off her desk and rolled in front of me.

Akira browsed the inventory list while the doctor dabbed my hand with disinfectant.

"You need to take it easy in your class or at least find another practice sword to use."

"Neither of those are likely to happen. I was assigned the sword and can't swap it out. And my team would be a man down if I took it easy." I replied, choking back a groan as the disinfectant stung like a bitch.

"Then you're going to be in pain until your hands build up resistance. With how soft your skin is, I'd guess you're not used to tough work, in which case, the scabbing will continue for a couple more weeks…I recommend you apply ointment and rewrap your hands every night."

I nodded in understanding. The ointment she applied dulled the stinging.

"Thanks, doctor."

"It's Takemi. You kids should remember it if you're going to be stopping by for supplies." Dr. Takemi rolled back to her desk after wrapping my hands in fresh gauze. She checked on what Akira had chosen. "Okay, please head to the front to settle the bill."

We went to the front and Akira used the funds from the Metaverse to pay for the medicine and my treatment.

We both groaned heartbreakingly from how empty Akira's wallet became.

I stuffed the medicine into my bag with a heavy heart. With how fast the money was going, the two of us would seriously need jobs to cover all these extra expenses.

"Take care, kids." Dr. Takemi left the counter, retreating back into her office.

Morgana materialized from the bag. "That could have gone better…you both need some more work on improvisation."

I pouted at the critique and Akira fiddled with his hair.

A gruff looking man bursted into the clinic and stormed into the exam area. Akira curiously looked at the door.

Nope. We were not getting involved!

I pulled on his arm to leave, but the man's shout stopped us in our tracks.

"Enough of this! You're the only one who could have developed that type of medicine!"

Akira moved closer to the door, eavesdropping on the conversation. Not that he needed to, Dr. Takemi and the man's voice carried into the room.

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about…" She refuted dispassionately.

"Don't play dumb with me. Rumor has it, it's a drug so potent it can give a person unlimited power."

"Really? That's news to me."

"Developing experimental drugs, medicine, and herbal remedies violates all health regulations. Are you attempting to create a super-stimulant? A drug like that will only become a social issue."

"You're really persistent, you know that? I'm just a quack…" Dr. Takemi sounded exasperated in the face of the man's indignation.

"The police may not be taking action, but I imagine the media will soon pick up on it. You intend to ruin my reputation again, huh?! You're disgrace to the medical community!"

This guy was a piece of shit. How could he be so disrespectful to her?!

"What's with that look? That was your mistake, was it not? I won't be responsible for your criminal actions. Dispose of that 'medicine' immediately and resign. The name 'Tae Takemi' will never-" The man stopped mid-rant due to the door clicking closed from Akira leaning on it too much.

We both jumped back from the barrier.

"Hey, is somebody there?!" The man yelled.

My brother and I rushed out the clinic.

"Geez, they almost caught us." Morgana hissed from over Akira's shoulder. "Sounded like they were talking about something dangerous…could that woman be hiding some extra strong medicine?"

"We could use that in the Palace. How do we go about getting it?" Akira shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Use that Kurusu charm of yours and convince the woman to sell it to you." I teased him.

"Why are you leaving this up to me? You said it yourself, you're the better liar. Dr. Takemi didn't buy my story at all. She was fine with yours, though." He challenged, disconcerted with being treated like the bad twin for once.

For a moment I felt a tiny glimmer of satisfaction from the role reversal.

"Because you're better with people. I'd probably mess up and say something off-putting. You're the safer bet, bro." I soothed him, bottling that petty glimmer of emotion and burying it deep down.

"You're not that weird little girl anymore. There's nothing strange about your behavior." Akira reassured me, realizing that my actions were off.

This was why I said he's better with people.

I'm not that empty little girl anymore.

Nobody complained about my abnormal behavior anymore. People don't avoid me like the plague…

I was Homura Kurusu, an aspiring actress! I was a normal teenager girl.

"Don't involve people who have nothing to do with Palace business. Keep the Phantom Thieves a secret okay, okay?" Morgana warned.

The warning was dully noted by us.

The sound of phones going off made me reach into my bag and pull the buzzing object out. A Phantom Thieves' group text had been sent.

**Ryuji Sakamoto: You know there's a shop in Shibuya that sells model guns. I'd be happy to take you if you want, Akira.**

**Homura Kurusu: What about me, Ryuji? Where's my invitation? Or were you trying to steal my brother?**

**Ryuji Sakamoto: Honestly, I don't think you need to be around any guns, even if they're just models. You might try shooting me with a bb for fun.**

**Homura Kurusu: I wasn't, but that's a great idea! :) Akira, hit him a few times for me when you get to the shop!**

**Big Brother: Sounds good. Testing the guns out on Ryuji first is a good idea.**

**Ryuji Sakamoto: Dude, you're my bro in arms, but if you shoot me with a bb, fists are gonna fly. Don't let your crazy sister corrupt you.**

**Ryuji Sakamoto: Let's figure out where to meet.**

**Homura Kurusu: Careful who you call crazy. And Akira is my brother, not yours!**

**Ryuji Sakamoto: Whatever.**

**Ryuji Sakamoto: You know how to get to Shibuya Station, Akira?**

**Big Brother: Yes.**

**Ann Takamaki: Hey, I can't make it. Can I trust you guys to check the place out for me?**

**Ryuji Sakamoto: You can't come?**

**Ann Takamaki: Not tomorrow. I made plans to go see Shiho in the hospital.**

**Ryuji Sakamoto: Ah, gotcha. Don't worry, we got this.**

**Ryuji Sakamoto: Well, seeya in Shibuya, Akira! I'll be in front of the station!**

I stuffed the phone back in my bag.

"We might be able to get our hands on some decent stuff if this store really has model guns." Morgana purred happily. "We can leave that for tomorrow. Let's go home, I'm starved!"

* * *

**Take your time**

* * *

"What do you think? Should I get the pink flowers or the yellow ones? Or should I buy her a bear or something. I really want to get her something since I didn't last time…" Takamaki fluttered around the floral shop, debating on a bouquet for Suzui.

The girl had texted me and asked if I'd meet her at the underground mall.

I still wasn't all that sure about Takamaki and was hesitant to hang out with her, but since Akira and Ryuji were checking out the gun shop and Goro was busy working, I had nothing better to do.

"I think this yellow sunflower would brighten up Suzui's room and they signify deep loyalty. Pink flowers are more for romance." I caressed the yellow petals of the potted plant.

Takamaki came to my side to admire the flower.

"It is pretty festive and I do like the meaning associated with it. Shiho's my best friend and I'll stand by her forever!" Takamaki beamed at me. "You sure are knowledgeable about flowers, Homura. That's kinda cute."

"Ah, I don't know that much. Only the tidbits my Mom tried to teach me." I kept my irritation to a minimal.

My memories of flower lessons were bittersweet.

Mom didn't like how much I gravitated more towards males in my childhood.

Whenever she felt like I was spending too much time with Goro, Akira, or Dad, she'd pull me away and force me to participate in an activity she deemed feminine…it didn't help that I sucked at most everything she tried to teach me.

Cooking was a bust. Tea ceremonies were a nightmare. Sewing or knitting was hazardous in my presence. Floral arrangement was the one thing I wasn't horrible at. Mom drilled those lessons into my head in hopes that I wouldn't be a complete failure as a woman.

"Your friend is right, you do have a knack for flowers. Most customers I get don't know the first thing about any of the flowers I sell." The owner of the shop smiled kindly at us.

"Haha, I guess I fall into that category too, huh?" Takamaki giggled nervously.

"There's nothing wrong with that. That's why I'm here after all. So, are you going to purchase the sunflower?"

"Yes, please."

"Then I'll go ring it up." The owner picked the plant up and took it to the register.

She gave Takamaki a discount thanks to my knowledge of the sunflower's meaning. The blonde was all smiles as we left the store.

"I lucked out with that purchase, having you come was a great idea!"

"Glad I could be of assistance. Are you going to see Suzui now?" I checked the time on my phone.

It was still pretty early. The boys wouldn't be done with their objective yet.

"Yeah, I am…" Takamaki's eyebrows furrowed and she cradled the plant closer to her stomach. "Do you um, do you wanna come with me?"

I froze.

If I said no, I'd look like a total asshole. But I honestly had no reason to go.

What happened to Suzui was absolutely terrible and I felt bad for her, but that was the extent of it. As horrible as it sounded, I didn't really know Shiho Suzui and that caused me to be detached about her as person…a visit from me wouldn't be the same as a visit from Takamaki.

And what if her parents were there? I wouldn't know what to say.

"It's cool if you don't. I know hospitals can make some people uncomfortable and you don't really know Shiho…I just wanted some extra company I guess… Sitting in the room alone and listening to Shiho's heart monitor is depressing." The dejected look on her face tugged my insides.

An image of Akira shaking his in disappointment flashed in my mind. He wouldn't have hesitated like I was.

"I'll go with you…I don't know how much help I'll be though."

Takamaki brightened considerably. "Awesome! We better hurry then. I don't want this plant dying before we reach Shiho."

"It doesn't work that way, Takamaki. It takes days in the shade and no water for a plant like that to wither."

She suddenly came to halt in front of me and probed me with her teal eyes. "Call me Ann. We're friends now so there's no need for formality."

I blinked, surprised.

"We're friends?" I genuinely questioned.

"Of course! Why wouldn't we be?! We faced death-defying odds together and came out on top." Takamaki stepped back as if she'd been slapped, hysteria slipping into her voice. "Unless you don't want to be friends?! You seemed to get along with Ryuji fine, so I just assumed it'd be the same for me. Was I wrong?!"

I frowned. This was one of those instances where my people skills failed spectacularly.

"W-Well, it was easier for me to befriend Ryuji. He's a boy and pretty straightforward. You on the other hand, confused me with your attitude. No offense, but Akira told me you were pretty standoffish to him in class and then your open hostility didn't improve my opinion." I took a breath and avoided eye contact with Takamaki. "I didn't think we'd just immediately become besties…"

She flinched.

"When you put it like that it makes sense…man, I was a bitch…and I know better because of how students treat me." Takamaki held her hand out for me to shake. "But, I swear I'm not like that all the time. Can we start over and try to be friends? We're the only girls on the team, it's important we look out for each other."

"Okay Ann, you're my first female friend." I shook her hand. "Don't ruin this for me! It only takes one bad experience for me to write things off for good."

Ann gasped. "What do you mean I'm the first?! That's a joke right?! You must mean I'm the first female friend you've had at Shujin, right?!"

Her loud questions attracted the attention of the other shoppers and they stared at us. I pushed Ann out of the mall and away from the prying eyes.

I hated being stared at! The stage was the only place I felt comfortable with focused attention.

"Hey, you gotta answer my question!"

"Good grief, you're as loud as Ryuji." I complained, smoothing out my skirt and taking a seat on the bench to wait for the train.

"Don't compare me to him!" Ann snorted very pig-like and flopped down beside me. "So…"

"I wasn't lying, you're my first friend that isn't a boy. I've never gotten along with girls for some reason and the girls that did try to talk to me only did it to get to Akira."

"Is it hard for you to get along with girls because you're a tomboy? You dress feminine enough, but your mannerisms and speech are on the manly side."

I scowled. "You hit the nail on the head. My mom tried to hammer it out of me, but it never quite worked."

Ann smiled sympathetically. "People here are pretty big on girls being docile, little dolls. It was culture shock for me at first. In Finland they're a bit more progressive."

"Finland, eh? Do you miss it?"

"Sometimes. I've lived in Japan most my life, but there are times when I'll miss simple things from there."

"Like what?"

Ann closed her eyes, getting lost in nostalgia.

"I grew up in this house that was surrounded by the forest, so...I miss the smell of the trees, the bright colors of the fruits that occasionally managed to grow, the amazing desserts Mom and Dad used to bake from scratch…" She opened her eyes and laughed, picking at her eyes. "I sound silly, don't mind me."

Her home sounded dream-like.

I envied that she had such vivd and warm memories from her childhood. My childhood was grey and boring for a long time.

I remembered everyone avoiding the girl that didn't seem to understand anything…Akira was the only one that really tried to get through to me…

I'd be a lot more eccentric if he hadn't set me straight.

"The train's here, hurry before we miss out on good seats!" Ann leaped from her seat.

We got on the crowded train and rode it to the stop for the hospital. It didn't take long for us to get to the building and reach Suzui's room.

Ann took a deep breath before she reached for the door handle and pulled. The room was white and quiet with only the beeping of machines disturbing the silence. Suzui was still unconscious and hooked up to a variety of machines.

Ann teared up at the sight while I honed in on the other occupant in the room.

"What're you doing here?" I said venomously, keeping my voice down.

Mishima recoiled and slouched in his seat. He appeared as terrible as ever with the multiple wounds and red eyes he was sporting. "I-I came to s-see Suzui…I didn't expect to see you, Kurusu."

"I could say the same. I'd have thought you too spineless to show your face anywhere near Suzui."

Mishima slouched further, my words striking him to the core.

"Homura, leave Yuuki alone. He comes here almost as much as me…I know you're mad at him but could you try to cut him some slack?" Ann intervened, setting the plant down on the table, where a stuffed bear was innocently sitting.

Mishima must have purchased that.

An irrational spike of anger hit me and I thought about the odd bear, Teddie, that Goro had given me. Why was I considered so unusual compared to everyone else?!

"Why should I be nice to this snake after what he did?" I redirected my anger back to the volleyball player.

"Because Kamoshida is ultimately the one to blame. Getting mad at Yuuki isn't going to do anything."

I huffed, ignoring Ann's point.

Mishima had plenty of opportunities to come clean to either Akira or myself and he didn't. No, he kept quiet about it, thinking he'd get away with it.

The snake!

If the coward had been upfront about it, then I wouldn't be as pissed as I was!

"C-Can I talk to you outside, Kurusu?" Mishima vacated the chair nearest to Suzui's bed and Ann took his spot, taking ahold of her friend's hand.

The sorrow in her expression and the stillness of Suzui made the room feel small and stifling.

I flicked my head in acceptance to the boy's request. We stepped out the room, giving Ann her privacy to speak to Suzui.

"Well, what do you want?" I asked bluntly, staring the fidgeting boy down.

"I-I wanted to properly apologize…for leaking the records."

I scoffed disdainfully. "Did you apologize to my brother already?"

"I did…" He looked confused by my increasing resentment.

"And he forgave you because he's such a nice person, didn't he?" Mishima nodded weakly, not following where I was going with this. "And you thought I'd forgive you too, huh? Pretend like nothing happened? Water under the bridge?" My voice lowered into a dangerous snarl. "You thought wrong…I won't forgive you and I won't forget about this."

"Kurusu…" The boy lowered his head, defeated. "I'm going to go…Please tell Ann goodbye for me."

He trudged away.

Akira was the nice twin, not me. I was the freaking queen of grudges and Yuuki Mishima was on my shit list for eternity!

* * *

**Take your time**

* * *

"But daaaaamn…" Ryuji hooted, hiding a lecherous grin behind his hand.

Morgana was having a similar reaction to Ann's thief outfit. Akira at least played it cool and minimized his ogling.

I rolled my eyes, feeling like chopped liver while standing next to the beautiful and sexy Ann.

"Hm? What's up?" She moved her hair back, exposing more of the opening at her chest and drawing the males in more.

"The boys are being pigs." I stated icily.

Ryuji snapped to attention after I specifically looked at him.

"I-I was just thinkin' we should chose a code name for you too." He stammered out.

"A code name?"

"I'm Skull, Akira's Joker, Homura's Jester, and the thing's Mona." Ryuji explained for Ann.

"Perhaps we should stop referring to Mona as an 'it' or a 'thing'. He doesn't seem to like it." Akira motioned to the bristling cat that was ready to pounce on Ryuji.

"Listen to our leader! He knows what he's talking about." Morgana hissed.

So, I'm guessing the cat wanted to be acknowledged as a boy? It didn't correct Akira when he used the male pronoun…but why does the cat have a girl's name if it's a boy?

"Judging by your costume it has to be something animal-like…" Morgana circled Ann.

"She's got that tail and stuff, so…" Ryuji tossed the ball to Akira. "What do you think?"

"Catgirl or Kitty Woman?"

"Oh, come on. Say what you're really thinking, bro." I dramatically gestured to Ann, raising my voice to mimic an announcer. "Her name shall be Sexy Cat!"

Ann shrieked and stomped her foot furiously. "Wait! Is that what you're going to call me from now on?! I am SO not down with Sexy Cat, Kitty Woman, or Catgirl! They're all SUPER gross!"

"What do you wanna be called, then?" Ryuji conceded, kicking at the ground restlessly.

"Um, something better than just a cat…maybe…'Panther'?" Ann became chipper, snapping her fingers. "That sounds pretty cool, doesn't it?"

"Huh? How is that?"

Ann stumbled with her explanation. "Cause it sounds more…ferocious?"

"She's a cougar!" Morgana dreamily remarked.

I laughed outright at the double meaning of the comment. "That's perfect, Mona! Good one."

"Stop laughing, Homura!" Ann screeched and then redirected her fury to Morgana. "And don't call me that!"

The cat closed in on itself.

"More importantly, Kamoshida's treasure, people!"

The group moved forward.

On our way to the infiltration point, a barred, blue door appeared along with a familiar pint-sized warden. Akira and I were the only ones to notice the door. We approached it wearily.

"My master would like a word with you." Justine's golden eyes concentrated on my brother.

"Am I suddenly not important anymore?" I hovered over the little girl.

She didn't react to my intimidation.

It was immature of me, but I wanted to feel in control and formidable in the presence of one of the twins. Too bad it wasn't Caroline here. I would have given her a first class noogie.

"Your presence is not required. When the master wishes to see you then you will be welcomed back."

"And what if I don't want my brother going into that place alone? Caroline is a little too trigger-happy with that electric baton!"

"Your opinion doesn't matter and if you prove to be troublesome and impede my master's wishes, then I will not hesitate to use force." Justine's indifference turned to aggression and her body tensed.

A rush of uncontrollable fear hit me. So much power was coming off the little midget as she brandished her own baton.

What was happening?! Why was the twerp radiating such danger?!

"Let's calm down, there's no need for violence. I'll go see what Igor wants." Akira interjected.

Justine relaxed and the feeling in my limbs returned.

"This way, Inmate." She waved her hand and the barred door opened, revealing empty blue space.

I was sketchy about the doorway. Akira reassured me he'd be fine on his own and entered the unknown. Justine followed him and the door shut with a bang.

I jumped from the loud noise.

The others didn't address the disturbance since Ann and Ryuji had gotten into another dumb argument and Morgana was trying to quiet them. I paced and mindlessly listened to the two idiots, waiting for Akira to return.

Barely a few minutes passed, but it felt like it took hours for him to reappear.

"What did the old man want?!" I swiftly grilled my brother for answers.

He looked pale and queasy from whatever happened.

"Igor showed me a method of creating powerful Personas…my wildcard ability has some strange perks…" Akira covered his mouth like he was choking back bile.

"You seem traumatized…what did they do?"

"I-It was gruesome. Justine and Caroline executed…I-I'll tell you later…" He breathed deeply and then adjusted his mask. "I did gain another ability from Igor. It's called the Third-Eye and it lets me see things that are hidden from the regular eye."

His eyes flickered from grey to gold.

"Woah!"

"Something wrong? Why are you two standing around? We're ready to go now." Morgana called, waving its paw.

They never noticed Akira's disappearance or return. That was a poor show of observational skills for a group of Phantom Thieves.

"Sorry for the holdup. Let's move!" Akira pulled out his phone and tapped the app.

Instead of us starting from the beginning, the app could be used to travel between safe rooms, saving us time and energy.

With a click, we were transported to the last safe room we'd discovered. From there we continued the infiltration, defeating Shadows, picking locked chests, and exploring deeper into the Palace.

Solving the puzzles throughout the place was made easier with Akira new ability to discern special objects, see footprints, and spot fingerprints. The Third-Eye even helped the rest of us find treasures that could be pawned off in the real world.

The real prize was the map we acquired. Traversing the Palace became faster with the layout in our grasp.

"Ugh…the hell is this room? There's tons of pictures of Suzui in here!" Ryuji ran further into the shrine-like room. "Wait…it's all pics of her?"

He choked on his words.

Some of the pictures were tame and some of them were graphically lewd. This was proof of Kamoshida's transgression with Suzui. Ryuji backed away from the wall and took off his mask to rub his face, muttering how he felt sick.

"Are you going to be okay?" Akira asked the silent Ann.

She approached the wall and meticulously tore off every picture.

"Panther?!" He exclaimed.

Ann had gathered all the pictures into a pile and used one of the candles to set them ablaze.

"Not good, not good! Almost everything in here is flammable!" Morgana bounced anxiously. "Don't just stand there, put the fire out!"

Ryuji and Akira went into a frenzy, exerting themselves to stomp out the fire before it grew. I pulled Ann out the room when she didn't move away from the fire.

"We'll make him pay for this, Panther." I told her.

"Yeah…definitely." She smiled feebly. "I feel even more motivated to do this now…"

"That's good. Just keep imagining how good it'll feel when Kamoshida has his desires stolen…he'll be no more than a groveling dog!"

Ann giggled. "Who knew you were the devious type? I like it."

"Hey, we finally managed to put the fire out…I would've killed for one of us to have an ice Persona." Ryuji moaned, patting down his outfit. Soot fell off his clothes.

"We found a medal and another map, too." Akira coughed into his hands, expelling smoke from his lungs.

"Judging from the size and shape, I think it's the key for the round indentation." Morgana scrubbed his feet. Compared to the boys he wasn't covered in soot and smelled like smoke. "And our map's complete now!"

Akira withdrew the map from one of his endless pockets. We gathered around him to examine the completed image. Ann pointed to the top portion of the map.

"That's a weird-shaped building…could it be a tower or something?"

Morgana hopped onto the boys' shoulders to view the area Ann identified. "Considering our current position…I'd say we're about halfway there."

"All right! Let's hurry over there!" Ryuji stressed.

"No. Now that we know how much we have left, we can calculate the best way to pace ourselves. Let's keep exploring, but take breaks when we need to."

Unanimously, we agreed to explore a little bit further.

Our energy levels quickly became low and most the supplies had been used to heal injuries or restore our spiritual energy. Most of our worst injuries were self-inflicted from dumb mistakes made by incompetent teenagers using weapons they didn't know the first thing about.

Ann alone was guilty of causing the most damage. Her whip more often than not, missed the target and ended up pelting one of us. The friendly fire from the guns was the other reason we were in such bad shape.

The armor purchased from Iwai's shop could only repel so much.

My gosh, we needed to hit the gym and train!

The group called it quits after we reached the next safe room. Something ominous about the chapel told us we were better off retreating and tackling the place on another day.

Ripples populated around us and we were returned to the school roof. The exhaustion hit us and everybody fell to the floor.

"I'm dead, I'm so dead." I groaned miserably, laying my head on Akira's shoulder and resting most my weight against him.

He laid his head on top of mine and cradled his stomach.

"Add me to that list, everything hurts…" My brother's breathing came out labored.

"W-Why are we so banged up? I don't remember it being this bad last time." Ryuji laid on his back and abruptly sprung back up, crying out about his back hurting.

"W-What's wrong?!" Ann squeaked, crawling over to him and inspected his back at Ryuji's insistence. When she poked his back he howled.

"Goddammit, that hurts! What's wrong with my back?!"

"W-What're you doing?! Stop that!" Ann tried to stop him from pulling his shirt up and exposing his back to her, but she gasped once his skin was on display. "Oh my god, Ryuji!"

"What, what?! Is it really bad?!" He rolled his neck, attempting to view his back.

"It's bad…" Akira started.

"Really, freaking bad." I finished.

Large, red welts decorated Ryuji's back. The marks obviously came from Ann's whip. She realized that and started apologizing to the delinquent.

"Why didn't your spells heal this?!" Ryuji pointed at Morgana, who was licking his wounds.

"Zorro can't heal everything, moron! Serious injuries are outside my capabilities to heal. Maybe that'll change when I get stronger though…" Morgana meowed mournfully. "This should be a lesson to everyone. Zorro's healing isn't perfect. If you want to avoid being banged up like this, then all of you need to start training. Right now we're slacking as Phantom Thieves!"

He pawed at the ground angrily.

A wave of depression overcame the group.

Morgana was absolutely right. We all sucked.

"How are we supposed to train though? It's not like there's a dojo that teaches someone how to use a whip! Where would I even go to get a whip to practice with?!"

My eyebrows wriggled suggestively. "There is a place that sells whips, Ann. You just have to be brave enough to enter."

Her face blazed scarlet. "Stop, stop, stop! I definitely won't be going where you're suggesting!"

"W-Why do you even know that stuff? Akira, what kinda supervising you doing?! You're sister's a total deviant!" Ryuji blurted out.

My brother took offense to that and stonily corrected him. "I'm her brother, not her keeper. What she does in her free time is her business."

"Yeah, you tell him, bro. I love it when you get sassy!" I cackled vindictively at Ryuji.

"Hey guys, let's chill. We're all pretty testy right now and I know just what'll solve that. Why don't we all get some chow? My stomach is eating itself." Ann rubbed her belly and right on cue, three other stomachs growled. "Ryuji, I'll pay for you this time to make up for your back."

"Yes! That's what I'm talking about!" Ryuji pumped his fist in the air.

"I'm too sore to move." I whined. "Akira, carry me!"

He scoffed. "No way, my ribs are hurting. And you're wearing a skirt, if I carried you on my back everyone would see your underwear."

"Then I'll change into my gym pants. Carry me!"

"No."

"Yes!"

"No!"

Our bickering went back and forth until Ryuji and Ann threatened to leave without us if we didn't quit. Our mouths snapped shut, but we still shot annoyed looks at each other all the way to Big Bang Burger.

 


	6. Chapter 6

"Should I be here? I feel like I'm gonna be the third wheel." Akira shoved his hands into his pockets, grinning knowingly at me.

"No, you shouldn't be here because you are third-wheeling." I bumped my shoulder against his arm and smirked back at him.

"You're so mean, Homura."

"That's part of my charm."

Akira shook his head and leaned against the building. We were waiting in front of the Shibuya movie theatre for Goro.

The Phantom Thieves were taking a few days off to recuperate.

As much as we all wanted to tackle the Palace and steal the treasure, it was a feat that would require us to improve ourselves. Not to mention our injuries needed time to heal.

Poor Ryuji was stuck home nursing his whipped back. Akira was supposed to be on bed rest as well for his tender ribs, but he was fed up with sitting at home with nothing to do but homework and crafting infiltration tools.

"Homura, Akira!" Goro called happily as he approached us.

"Lookin' fancy as ever, Goro. I hardly recognize you without your favorite Featherman t-shirt." My brother clapped his friend on the back with a mighty slap.

Goro laughed nervously. "But these are my casual clothes…and I've outgrown that shirt."

The detective was dressed in a blue checkered sweater over a white dress-shirt and khakis. The outfit was a bit more formal than Akira's black coat, faded shirt, and jeans. I was dressed semi-formal in a burgundy cardigan, poka-dot blouse and cream skirt.

"Buddy, that's not casual. But I forgive you for making me look grungy. You and Homura both have that weird sense of fashion that compels you two to dress like eccentric adults."

"Hey, hey, hey! IF we're gonna take shots at each other about fashion, then let's talk about those phony glasses you're sporting, Akira." I jeered, poking my brother in the chest.

"What about my glasses?" He adjusted the specs defensively.

"You don't need them so why are you wearing them? You phony!"

"Because they're in style and they make me look unassuming."

"Please, that's stupid." I snorted at his attempt to look innocent and turned to Goro. "Don't you think so?"

He raised his hands and laughed uneasily. "Ah, please don't include me in your squabbles, it never ends well..."

"And he never picks a side." Akira and I unintentionally grumbled at the same time. "Don't copy me." We pointed at the other and shouted. "Stop it!"

"Oh my, what have I started?" Goro pushed Akira and I apart, putting an end to us tugging at each other's cheeks. "Come now, this isn't the time for fighting. We came here to have fun, right?"

Akira was the first to cool down.

"Yeah, you're right. No more bickering from me." He massaged his cheek and stared expectantly at me. I rolled my eyes before nodding in agreement. "Good, then let's head inside. What snacks should we get?"

"Candy is a must. I rarely get the chance to indulge in it." The detective suggested, following Akira.

"I vote chips." I added, looping my arms through the boys' elbows and matching my stride with theirs.

"So, no one wants to share popcorn?" Akira muttered disappointedly.

Goro and I shared an amused smile.

We both didn't fancy the buttery item. Popcorn was too cheesy for me and too salty for Goro. Sadly, Akira's little fantasy of sharing a large tub of popcorn wasn't happening anytime soon.

After we got our snacks from the stand, we went into the viewing room.

Goro claimed a seat first.

The heated glare I sent Akira made him rethink his plan of acting like the overprotective brother and sitting next to my crush. My brother stood back and let me take the middle seat and he sat next to me.

Akira leaned close enough to whisper near my ear.

"Don't try anything funny. I'm watching you, Homura." He poked my cheek.

"Why are you saying that to me and not Goro? He's the boy here, not me." I complained.

"Because he's trustworthy. You're the deviant that might try something for giggles."

I stuck my tongue out at my brother before facing the screen.

Stupid Akira.

I wasn't a deviant! I was just a teensy bit more bold in my actions than most girls. Nothing ventured, nothing gained kind of thing.

The lights dimmed as the movie started.

I snuggled comfortably into the seat and glued my eyes to the screen. I'd been waiting months to see this action-packed movie. Lucky for me, I had a brother and best friend that liked superhero movies as much as I did and were more than happy to accompany me.

Before I knew it, the movie was over and people were chatting about the plot as they exited the room.

"You must have really enjoyed the movie, Homura."

I tilted my head in question at Goro. "How could you tell?"

"You latched on to my hand in the middle of the movie and haven't let go since. Every time something exciting happened you squeezed my hand pretty hard." He chuckled and fondly stared at our clasped hands.

"Oh, I didn't realize…" I made no move to release him.

"This is exactly what I meant." Akira grouched.

I cackled and tugged Goro out his seat, bypassing my brother and ignoring his protest. We ended up in front of the arcade section of the movies.

"Using me to taunt your brother isn't a good idea. What if Akira loses his temper? I'd be obligated to take his punch for participating in your games."

"Then just hit him back. It's not like you two haven't gotten into brawls before. If anyone's scary when they're mad, it's you." I caught Goro's expression slipping into something dark before his easy smile returned.

"I've learned to keep a level head in situations."

"You mean you've become more methodical."

Goro sighed deeply. "That's such a cold thing to say…"

"I'm sorry." I reached for him and he blushed from my hands coming into contact with his sides.

"W-What you doing, Homura?"

"Hugging you." I nonchalantly pulled back and held my hands behind my back. "And stealing your wallet."

"What?!" Goro dug into his pockets, only to come up empty and blankly stare at the object I was waving in front of him. "I didn't know you'd taken up pickpocketing."

"I'm not stealing it, just borrowing it. Let's play a game." I pointed at the coin machine behind us and handed the wallet back to him.

"Asking would have sufficed…" He pulled out the necessary bills for the tokens.

"But I would've missed out on your awkward blushing."

Goro stiffened at the reminder. "You shouldn't taunt people so much, Homura."

The tokens were dropped into my eager hands.

"But that's my life mission. I'd be so bored if I was nice all the time." I inserted the tokens into a racing game and sat in the seat, gripping the wheel with anticipation.

The detective joined at my urging.

"I'm going to kick your butt for once." My car swerved and knocked out one of the computer drivers.

Goro was still in the lead, but not for long.

"You say that all the time and still end up losing. Face it, you aren't meant to beat me, Homura." He was smug as his car sped past mine and crossed the finish line. "Case closed."

The brunette flashed me his award-winning smile.

My eye twitched.

Two parts of me were having an internal clash, one part was annoyed that I'd lost to him for the millionth time, the other part didn't care because he looked so charming and light-hearted.

"You win again oh mighty, Detective Prince." I bowed theatrically to the winner. "That catch phrase was a nice addition too."

Goro flushed in embarrassment.

"I took some of your advice. Adding a catchphrase doesn't seem too unusual. I'm sure my fans will love it when they hear it."

"Good, good. You're thinking big now. I daresay if you ever quit the force, you could be a potential rival for me."

"And how could Goro be a rival for you, sis? I don't think he'll ever be donning a costume and getting up on stage." Akira joined the conversation by leaning over our seats. "Thanks for ditching me by the way. I really enjoyed being dragged along with the crowd."

He pointedly scowled at me.

I waved off Akira's irritation with a playful smirk. "Well, the stage is out of the cards for me right now. Maybe tv is my next big shot, which means Goro's my rival."

Before the arrest, I had a potential internship at the local theatre in our hometown. That would have been my ticket to stardom, but my record made it impossible for the director to hire me or give a recommendation.

No theatre would give me the time of day with prostitution attached to my files. If I wanted to pursue my dream of performing for an audience, then I needed to find an new avenue of opportunity. The big screen was my only option.

"Television is entirely different from theatre…still, a lot of famous actors and actresses started out in theatre and worked their way into film. Is that what you want, Homura?" Goro asked, giving me his full attention as did Akira.

"Yes." I said firmly before striking a pose with my hand on my hip and brushing my curls off my shoulder. "So get your autographs and pictures now while they're free, gentleman."

Akira busted out laughing. "I-I've already got some humiliating baby pictures of you so I guess those are gonna be worth a lot when you become famous."

I cringed and grabbed ahold of my brother's shirt, frantically shaking him. "If those ever surface I'll make your life a living hell, Akira Kurusu!"

He continued laughing, disregarding my threat as empty. Akira then wrapped his arms around me to stop the assault. I struggled in his overbearing hug.

"Big brother wouldn't do that, he loves you, Homura. Even if you're a sadistic, little imp." Akira cooed, nuzzling his face into mine.

His ridiculous actions snuffed the fight out of me.

"You two are so close, it makes me a little envious." Goro stated with a melancholic smile.

"You're more than welcome to take Akira's place." I encouraged.

"U-Umm…" He sputtered.

"Save me, Goro!" I pleaded, pushing against Akira, who hugged me tighter at the suggestion of swapping places.

Akira guffawed like a villain. "I'll never release the princess."

Goro's face became a myriad of mortified, amused, and resigned.

"I see. Then I suppose I have no choice but to vanquish you to save Princess Homura." He picked up one of the plastic guns attached to a shooting game and aimed at my brother.

Akira gasped dramatically and after a few shots from Goro, he let me go. My brother fell against a game station, acting like he had been defeated.

"Curse you, Prince Goro…" Akira cried weakly, clutching at his chest.

"Thank you for saving me, my prince." I curtsied.

"Of course. It was my pleasure, fair maiden." Goro smiled, bowing with a hand over his heart.

My benign smile became wicked. "Shall I give you kiss as a reward?"

Goro went completely still and he deliberately avoided my approach while staring at Akira.

What was the big deal? I was kidding.

"Hey, you kids are making quite the fuss. I'm going to have to ask you all to leave." One of the employees informed us.

Goro and Akira apologized for the inconvenience while I glared at the retreating employee's back. I stomped out the movies with the boys trailing behind me.

"That's the first time I've been kicked out of an establishment."

"That's a round-about way of saying sis and I are bad influences, Goro." Akira shoved his hands back into his pockets. "But you had fun right? So everything works out."

"Well…" He drawled and mockingly held his chin in thought.

"And we're still your favorite twins." I latched on to his side. He flinched, but didn't push me away.

"Yes, I suppose you two are." A small smile graced his lips.

"So you reject my hug, but you're all over Goro, huh? I see how it is." Akira deadpanned.

I cutely stuck my tongue out at him.

Goro's phone started ringing and he needed to step away to take it. With great reluctance, I let him go to take the call.

"Despite your best efforts, I don't really feel like a third-wheel. In fact, this really feels like we're kids again, doesn't it? Funny how time has changed us, but not our bonds." Akira slung his arm over my shoulder.

"It does feel nostalgic, except Goro's a lot more serious now. I'm surprised he even played along with our silly game."

"He did have to grow up faster than us."

Unlike us, Goro never really had a stable home-life that allowed him to enjoy his time as child. Out of the three of us, he was the one always insisting on acting older than he was.

That sweet little boy was determined to speed through his golden years to get rid of the pain and loneliness he felt on a daily basis.

"He shouldn't have had to…" I stated, suddenly dispirited.

"But he did."

"I really can't stand it when you get pensive."

"But sissssss." Akira droned, laying his head on top of mine. "You promised to hear me out whenever I needed."

I sighed.

Goro's expression became more and more agitated as the person on the other line continued talking. I wondered who could get under his skin?

Was it his boss? Or maybe his adoptive family?

"Ann just texted me. Morgana and her found something that'll help her train." Akira interrupted my train of thought. "At least one of us is getting some training done."

"You mean at least the clumsiest member is stepping their game up, right? I thought I was a mess, but Ann is way worse." I rubbed a tender spot on my arm. A welt was there underneath my clothes.

Once Ann became acquainted with her weapon, strikes from her would leave the Shadows whimpering in pain.

"It's our first mission, it'd be unrealistic if the group didn't suck."

"This isn't a video game, nerd." I reminded him.

"Video games? Were both of you planning to head to the arcade?" Goro re-entered the conversation.

All traces of his previous irritation were gone.

"Maybe somewhere else. Factor in me and Goro's competitive natures and Homura's obsession with Dance Revolution, and we'd be in the arcade the rest of the day." Akira shot the idea down and provided another. "Why don't we relax at the cafe instead? That is, if you don't have to be somewhere, Goro?"

"It's fine, I already put aside this day for you two. My employer was simply calling to remind me of a case I'm working on. He's anxious to have the matter resolved."

"Ohh! Are you getting ready to bust some big criminal?" I pushed for an answer.

Goro chuckled at my enthusiasm. "Sorry, but that's confidential."

"But you can tell me. I can keep a secret." I shuffled closer to him, turning up the charm to get what I wanted. I even held my hand by my ear for him to whisper in.

He indulged me, bending to whisper in my ear. "Nice try, princess."

Pink dusted my cheeks from the tickle of his breath on my ear and the sweet endearment from when were younger.

"I can't share details of police matters with civilians. Not even if those civilians are my childhood friends."

"So much for having an in with law enforcement." Akira exaggerated his groan. He turned for the cafe.

"Are you coming, Homura?" Goro called when I didn't move.

I snapped out of my stupor and nodded, not trusting myself with speech at the moment. Goro's red eyes twinkled knowingly, but he chose not comment on my instance of bashfulness.

The three of us sat at a table with Akira and I taking up one side and Goro on the other. A waitress took our orders and we settled into an easy discussion of trivial things, like the many dishes Goro had learned to cook and Akira's new appreciation for coffee and curry. From there the boys went from topic to topic with me adding a few comments here and there.

My brother really had a way with people. He could hold a conversation with just about anyone.

Even though I had two new friends, conversations with them could turn awkward at a moments notice due to my lack of common sense.

I completely shut Ryuji down when he tried talking to me about sports during a free period. I had no interest in the subject and wasn't able to contribute to the discussion.

Both of us ended up frustrated by the time free period was over.

Ann had sent me a text message about the latest fashion trends and a bunch of photos, but all the rules and guidelines she tried to impart on me about looking good didn't stick. While some of my clothing could be considered novel, I wasn't trying to set trends or garner attention like Ann was with her clothing.

Her career as a model made her more adventurous than me.

Even Morgana seemed exasperated with me when he tried to guide me through making a lock pick. I did better with the smoke bombs though…

Why was interacting with others such a struggle for me?! Akira made it look so easy.

"Homura, what's wrong? You've been strangely quiet. Are we boring you?" Goro set his cup down and worriedly glanced at me.

I snapped to attention and quickly responded with a random question. "Do you think I'd make a better villain or hero?"

Goro was dumbfounded by the abrupt subject change. Akira laughed and ruffled my hair.

"Playing the villain is your guilty pleasure, sis." He flippantly answered. "Remember all the times she insisted on being the dragon and we had to be the dragon-slaying knights, Goro?"

An unintentional snort escaped from him that led to full-blown laughter that he tried to control by covering his mouth. Akira's laughter joined soon after.

"It's not that funny. I just got really into character back then…" I mumbled, pouting childishly.

They took one look at my face and broke out laughing again.

"It is quite amusing to remember. You were much too cute to ever be taken seriously as villain in our games, no matter how much you growled or laughed evilly." I blushed from being called cute by Goro. "I can't imagine you as a diabolical character, not when I know you so well."

His chuckles died down and he drank the rest of his beverage. "Ah, I haven't laughed this hard in so long. I truly have missed the both of you."

"Well, you've got us for an entire year, make use of it." I teased, bumping my foot against his leg as payback for making me blush.

Goro jumped in his seat.

"Ahaha, believe me, I plan to."

* * *

**Take your time**

* * *

"All right you rookies. Today is all about training. Work your bodies to the bone!" Morgana cheered from within Akira's bag.

His blue eyes looked into each of ours, transferring his determination to us.

Our group of Phantom Thieves had gathered together at the local gym in Shibuya at the team mascot's instance. With Ryuji's back recovered, the group was back on its feet.

"Man, that's easy for you to say since you'll be chillin' in Akira's bag the whole time." Ryuji groaned, standing up to rotate his arm.

"This might be the only time I'm jealous of Morgana. He doesn't have to work out and get sweaty." I whined.

Gyms in general were off-putting to me. It was a male dominated place where body-building freaks gathered to show off. The disgusting smell and thick atmosphere was the worst part.

"It is pretty crowded and there aren't many girls here. The guys are eyeing us a little too much." Ann zipped up her jacket.

I felt as uncomfortable as she did and made sure my shirt covered my bottom from prying eyes. Maybe I should've worn loose-fitting clothes like Ann.

"Don't worry, they won't try anything. Ryuji and I have been here before and didn't have any problems." Akira assured us with one of his calm smiles.

"And don't forget about me. I'll claw out their eyes if any of these fiends dare lay a hand on Lady Ann!" Morgana purred, gazing adoringly at her.

"What about me, Morgana?" I deadpanned.

The cat startled and sheepishly pawed at his cheek.

"Sorry. I'd defend your honor too, Lady Homura." He tried to appease me.

"Too late, kiss-up." I shoved him back into the bag and zipped it up.

The bag wiggled violently from Morgana's struggles. Ryuji snickered at my actions while Akira frowned reproachfully.

We spilt into groups, Akira and Ryuji immediately went for the weights while Ann and I hit the treadmill.

The boys took turns spotting each other. Akira appeared to be having a harder time than Ryuji. When I pointed that out to Ann, she casually stated that Ryuji had always been a muscle-head, that was what made him so good at sports and kept him in good shape.

Her remarks were almost complimentary and she blushed furiously after I pointed that out to her.

In her insistence to prove that she didn't care about Ryuji's muscles, Ann ended up tripping over her own feet and falling off the treadmill. I couldn't contain my laughter at Ann's predicament.

The boys rushed over to check on us. Ann ended up sprinting off to practice with the ribbon she bought for her rythmic gymnastics glass after Ryuji poked fun at her.

We all worked out for another two hours before calling it quits and hitting the showers.

"Wow! Homura, your hair is actually curly and not frizzy." Ann hovered behind me, dragging her fingers through my wet hair. "It's so soft too!"

"Did you think I was lying about my hair?" I sighed pleasantly and leaned back on the bench, basking in the feeling someone combing my hair.

Mom gave up on my doing my hair pretty early on and forced me to deal with it since she couldn't tame the curls I'd inherited from Dad. It was funny how much Akira and I took after Mom in appearance with the exception of our curls.

I thought the connection would have made me and her closer, but for some reason it just annoyed Mom that I looked so much like her, but acted nothing like her.

"Sorta, I guess. Your hair just looks so messy all the time. I assumed you and Akira were going for the just-got-out-of-bed look."

"We're not. I just haven't learned how to manage my hair." I fiddled with the ends of my hair. My black locks were so long they reached the middle of my back. "Most the time I just clip it back to save myself the hassle."

"If you want, we can hit the mall again? I can show you the store where I get my hair supplies. Maybe the employees could give you some recommendations on which products to use to make your hair more manageable." Ann squeezed my shoulder and gave a wide smile. "You've got pretty hair, Homura. You should take care of it. Japanese girls typically don't have curly hair, that makes you special."

I returned her smile with my own, ruffling my bangs out of my eyes.

Maybe there was a chance I could be considered beautiful like Ann Takamaki one day.

"Do you use a lot of stuff in your hair, Ann?" I asked while slipping on my coat and stuffing the dirty clothes into my gym bag.

"You have no idea, Homura! It takes me FOREVER to look this good. Make-up and hair alone takes two hours and don't get me started on the internal debates I have about what I should wear and the accessories to go with the outfit."

"Geez…being pretty sounds like a full-time job. I thought throwing on a cute shirt and skirt was all it took…how wrong I've been."

"Don't worry. I'll show you the ropes. You'll be even more of a bombshell in no time, Homura!" Ann excitedly promised.

We exited the girl's locker room and met with the boys outside.

"Why's it always take girls so goddam long? I'm dying for a beef bowl!" Ryuji grouched, scowling at Ann and I.

"Shut up, Ryuji!" Ann snapped.

"Yeah, Ryuji. That's no way to speak to a lady." Morgana poked his head out the bag.

"What the hell?! Don't gang up on me! I was voicing a valid concern."

"Well your 'valid concern' isn't appreciated. Some of us make sure to take our time when cleaning up so we don't smell." Ann covered her nose and made a face at Ryuji.

He blushed and sniffed at his clothes.

"You're lying, I smell fine!"

"Could've fooled me with that foul body wash you used. Reminds me of fish."

"It's supposed to smell like the ocean and it doesn't stink! Why are you inhaling my scent so much if it bothers you, Ann?!"

At this point, Ryuji and Ann were arguing up close and personal. A little push and their faces would smash together in an impromptu kiss.

The scene made me think of something I'd seen in a manga where two boys were arguing and ended up lip-locking.

"You guys argue like an old, married couple. Is there really nothing going on between you two?" I bluntly questioned to their and my brother's embarrassment.

"We're just old friends!" They managed to deny at the same time.

After realizing they spoke in unison, Ann huffed and turned her back on Ryuji.

"Believe me, we get on each other's nerves too much to be anything more than friends." She maintained. "I've been butting heads with Ryuji since we were kids. If it weren't for Shiho, I think we would've been mortal enemies."

"That's an understatement. Suzui literally stopped us from beating the shit out of the other." Ryuji snorted, grinning from his memory.

"So, I still have a shot. Not that this amateur could pose a threat." Morgana whispered conspiratorially.

Akira shushed him.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Morg. Ryuji still has a huge advantage over you…" I paused for dramatic effect. "He's a human."

Morgana choked on air. "He won't have that advantage for long!"

"We are so off track at this point." Akira fiddled with his glasses.

"My man's right. Th beef bowls are callin'!" Ryuji pumped his fist in the air.

"I'm sure brother will enjoy your culinary expertise again, Ryuji." Akira shot me a nasty look as he recalled the outrageous amount of ginger he was forced to digest the last time we had eaten out with the blonde delinquent.

"Those bowls were pretty good. Maybe I should become a chef."

Akira went white.

"I don't know which is worse, Ryuji or Homura's taste." He grumbled.

We entered the restaurant and our group settled at a secluded table.

The boys went up to the counter to order the food. I set Aira's bag down on an open chair and unzipped it for Morgana. He hissed at me in retaliation.

I figured he was still sore about the manhandling.

"I'm sorry for shoving you into the bag, Morg. Will you forgive me?" I smiled cutely at the miffed cat. "Pretty please?" I added after he continued glaring.

"I'll accept the apology since you're a lady." Morgana conceded. His tail wove around languidly. "Who knew you were the easily jealous type…"

My eye twitched and I quelled the urge to pull on Morgana's cheeks in retaliation. That would make me look bad.

"Jealous? Homura's got nothing to be envious of. She's a babe, well, a cute babe." Ann grinned, resting her chin on the palm of her hand.

I felt slightly shy in the face of another person referring to me as cute. When it came to female matters, I wasn't an expert. If Ann thought I was attractive then I had to be.

Did Goro think that about me now, too?

"R-Really?" I murmured, avoiding eye contact with the prettier specimen sitting next to me.

Ann bobbed her head passionately. "You're adorable and get along with guys like it's nothing, you probably had loads of guys asking you out all the time. As your new friend you're obligated to tell me if you had a boyfriend."

I scooted back from Ann, re-establishing our previous space. She just moved her chair closer and demanded I spill since I was being so evasive and that was a sure sign of guilt.

My actions weren't from Ann's assumption, but rather her uncomfortable proximity to my face.

"Uh, are you guys playin' some kind of game?" Ryuji skeptically looked at Ann and I, holding one of the trays of food.

Akira set the other one on the table.

I scooted further from Ann and took my soda, slurping loudly to escape from further conversations about boyfriends. From the way Ann reacted to the news of her being my first friend that was a girl, I didn't expect her to calmly accept that I'd never had a boyfriend.

I had pinned after a certain boy for years though.

"Ack! This is too hot!" Morgana whimpered, pawing at his scorched tongue.

"Shh, don't be too loud." Akira gently chided him, taking the small cup of soup from his bag and blowing on the liquid. "There you go."

He placed the cooled liquid back in the bag.

"Aren't you just a spoiled cat? Don't go getting fat on us with all that special treatment." Ryuji said in between slurps of his noodles. Some of it got on his face.

"Be quiet, Ryuji. There's nothing wrong with showing the appropriate appreciation to a valued team member." He retorted.

"If you think this is spoiled then you should see the dishes Sojiro makes for him. I swear Morgana eats better than we do. If I have to eat curry for breakfast and dinner one more time, I'm going to cry."

For a second, the meat I consumed distinctly tasted like curry. I drank a good portion of my drink to overpower the memory.

"Sojiro is the owner of the cafe you guys stay at, right? Does he really only feed you both coffee and curry? That doesn't sound healthy at all. No wonder Akira attacks the school bread at lunch." Ann sent my brother and I pitiful looks.

"It's not as bad as Homura makes it out to be." Akira's fingers trailed through his locks as he fought off a blush. "Really, we should show more appreciation to Sojiro since he takes time out of his busy day to feed us."

His biting statement was aimed at me.

I shrugged. It wasn't like Sojiro was doing any of that out of the kindness of his heart. The man was being paid to take care of us by Dad.

Plus, the old man was always so gruff and rude to us, like our presence was genuinely inconveniencing him. He shouldn't have agreed to take us in if he didn't want to deal with two teenagers.

My patience with the old-timer was wearing thin.

"I could have my maid prepare lunches for you two. She already makes mine everyday, it'd be no trouble for her to make some extra sets."

I stared at Ann in wonder.

Why did she have a maid? Was she super rich?

"A-Ah, no that won't be necessary. Thank you for the offer though." Akira politely turned her down. Ann was disappointed, but let it go. "May I ask why you have a maid, Ann?"

"I pretty much live alone since my parents' jobs take them all over. They're a big deal in the fashion world."

"Hey, is your maid still the same one that brought you to school all the time?" A silly grin worked its way onto Ryuji's face.

"Yeah, why?" Ann pointed to her cheek to remind Ryuji that he had food all over his face.

He wiped it off with a napkin.

"Cause she was smokin' hot! What was her name? Aya, Ai, Akari…"

"Aoi, Ryuji." She answered flatly. "I can't believe you even remembered her."

"Hard not to when she showed up with you every day."

"So Ann's parents are fashion gurus. What about your parents, Ryuji?" I blurted out.

His face scrunched up and I wondered if I had overstepped my bounds.

I wasn't polite about it like my brother was when questioning Ann. But I had to know.

Did our group consist of broken teenagers?

"My Pop's in prison now and Ma works her butt off at this fancy company as a secretary." Ryuji scratched his head, waiting for the scathing remarks about his home-life.

"Our parents are pretty boring. Mom doesn't work and Dad owns a construction company. He used to do magic shows for birthday parties on the side when we were younger though." I shared to alleviate the heavy atmosphere.

My gambit worked and three pairs of eyes stared at me.

"Your dad did magic shows? Did he make you and Akira his assistants?" Ryuji sputtered, barely containing his mirth.

Ann was bitting her lip and her cheeks were red from holding in her amusement.

"He did." I smiled smugly.

I suppose I lied a little, Dad was a pretty cool guy.

"Where do you think Akira got those knife skills from? Or my dramatic flare?"

"Sis, why would you tell them that? That's not something you share or brag about!" Akira hung his head.

His hair covered his face, but I could see that his ears were a bright red.

"Woah, the twins had such a unique upbringing! I didn't think human parents would be okay with their offspring playing with knives." Morgana proclaimed with gleaming eyes.

"Hey, is that a cat I hear?!" An employee marched over to our table.

"Morgana!" We all whispered harshly.

"Sorry, sorry!" He slunk back into the bag as the employee reached our group and inquired about the noise.

We ended up being asked to leave since we were finished eating and the manager didn't want our noisy group loitering in the establishment.

"We're getting kicked out of places a little too much. I don't like being treated like this." I whined.

"We're outcasts wherever we go, sis. Might as well get used to it." Akira replied in a rare instance of pessimism.

He abruptly came to a stop in front of an alleyway. Ryuji and Ann kept walking, oblivious to our stop.

"What's wrong?"

Akira didn't answer me. He stepped into the alley and I followed him.

"Igor told me I could return whenever I wished…" My brother mumbled to himself.

I reached for his shoulder to get clarification, but my hand fell to my side as I noticed the glowing blue door in the alley and the wardens guarding it.

"Hey, Inmates!" Caroline greeted in her usual brusque manner.

"W-What? Why is there a door here?! And who are they?!" Morgana screeched from over Akira's shoulder.

So this stuff wasn't just in our heads.

Justine spared a glance for Morgana, but chose to ignore him in favor of Akira. "Our master awaits. Please come this way."

The door opened.

"Will someone tell me what's going on?!" Morgana urged.

"Apparently, these summonings have to do with Akira's wild card ability." I said, crossing my arms.

A tiny, ugly part of me felt jealous of Akira. It was like I was no longer deemed useful by the Velvet Room attendants.

"Look after Morgana, will you?" Akira stood before me, holding his bag out to me. He didn't wait for an answer and dropped the bag into my arms.

"Quit wasting time!" Caroline snarled and ended up kicking Akira through the door. She angrily ambled after her charge.

Justine remained in place.

"What? Have something to say to me?"

Her gold eyes probed my grey ones. "I do not understand our master's interest in you. You posses none of the qualities of our usual guests."

"Akira's not the first?"

Justine didn't respond. She turned her back on me and sternly announced. "You'd best not disappoint our master. The punishment for failure will be severe."

The little warden left and the door closed.

"Like I care what your 'master' wants."

* * *

**Take your time**

* * *

"Hey you kids got a second? Somethin' I wanna ask." Sojiro finished wiping down the counter. "C'mere, let's have a chat."

I made myself comfortable on one of the stools while Akira hovered behind me.

"You two have been unusually well-behaved…how's school? Not causing any trouble?" He looked at us suspiciously, though his gaze mainly lingered on me.

"I'm not."

"I might be."

The old man rubbed his neck in agitation, trying to distinguish our answers. "Don't talk at the same time."

"Sorry." We chimed.

Sojiro grunted. "I've gotta report to the probation officer twice a month. It's already a pain in the ass as is, so please don't make me have to write even more crap."

"Yeah, cause there's so much to write about." I mumbled scathingly.

Akira pinched me pretty hard and I elbowed him equally as hard.

"Got that?" Sojiro raised his voice to get his point across. "This society is kept in check by laws and authority figures. You both can go and get yourselves killed if you want, but don't go dragging other people into your mess. The last thing we need is more idiots like you brats roaming around."

My shoulders tensed at the unwarranted verbal beat-down we were receiving.

We just couldn't get a break, could we?

Sojiro's rant was interrupted by his phone ringing. He stepped away to answer the call. "Hm, what's wrong?"

"You think he's got a secret girlfriend?" I whispered to Akira.

"Maybe…he does come off as a flirt with some of the things he says."

"Yeah, I'm heading out now. Sorry about that." Sojiro started taking his apron off while juggling the phone to his ear. "I know. The usual, right? Okay. I'll see you later."

A softness had become apparent in his countenance.

"Leaving so soon, Sojiro? No more words of wisdom for us?"

"Cut back on the cheek, kid." He scolded me. "As you both can see, I'm pretty damn busy both at work and in my private life. If you two could lend a hand, it'd really be a great help…"

I bit down on my lip to smother my snort.

How typical of an adult. They beat you down and then ask for your favors like nothing's wrong.

What a sick cycle.

"I'd be glad to." Akira easily agreed.

"Now we're talking. And what about you?" Sojiro's eyebrows rose expectantly.

"Sure, but I doubt I'll be much help."

"What do you mean? You're not obnoxiously clumsy, are you?"

"That's not it…"

"Then what is it?"

Akira placed his hand on top of my head sympathetically. "Sis, has zero skills in the kitchen. And I mean that in the literal sense."

"That's it? She can't be that bad." Sojiro chuckled. He stopped chuckling at our serious expressions. "Good grief, that bad? I guess I'll have you man the front then."

I felt another bout of depression hit me. Akira ruffled my hair.

"I won't ask either of you to work for free. If you both agree to help me, then…I'll teach you two how to make the perfect cup of coffee. Not a bad trade, eh?"

"Sounds interesting." Akira was more excited than me.

"This isn't going to end well for me…"

"I'm sure you can learn to at least make coffee, kid." Sojiro smirked.

"I doubt it."

"We'll shelve that for another time. For now, we've got ourselves a deal."

My eyes widened as I saw the blue butterfly fluttering near Akira's shoulder and heard that mysterious voice speak of a new vow. My brother's grey eyes found mine as he heard my sharp intake. He inclined his head to tell me he'd experienced the strange occurrence too.

"I'll be counting on you kids' help." Sojiro came around the counter and waved goodbye to us as he went home.

"He has no idea of the catastrophe he's inviting into his cafe."

"Shut up!" I trudged upstairs and tossed my bag on the floor.

I needed to channel my moodiness into something productive.

"What are you doing, Homura?" Morgana hopped onto my bed.

"Just writing some lyrics. I've had these melodies stuck in my head for some time now." I patted my lap in invitation for him.

He rejected the opportunity with a barbed explanation of propriety. I dropped the notebook in front of the cat so he'd cut his lecture short.

"Beneath the mask?" Morgana touched the page.

I started lightly singing what I'd written. " _Where have you been? Been searching all along. Came facing twilight on and on. Without a clue, without a sign, without grasping yet. The real question to be asked. Where have I been?_ " I took a deep breath after finishing.

Akira clapped enthusiastically.

"Lady Homura, that was beautiful! I can't believe a girl like you has the voice of an angel." Morgana meowed happily.

I let his back-handed compliment slide.

"What brought that song on?" Akira fell onto his bed.

"You, me, our situation…everything's so turbulent. This notebook is gonna be my saving grace."

"You're giving up on the diary so soon?" He reached into his bag and waved the object around.

I scoffed in response. Adding doodles and snarky remarks were my only contribution to our shared diary.

"Homura, you have to sing me to sleep from now on. I'm sure I'll have pleasant dreams every night then." Morgana meowed again and looked at me hopefully.

I picked him up and held him in front of my face. "Aw, does that mean you'll sleep next to me tonight, Morg?"

"No, no, no! That's completely improper. I can't sleep in a lady's bed, especially not with said lady next to me!" He squirmed in my hold.

"I bet you'd do it if Ann offered!"

"N-No I wouldn't!"

"You hesitated which means you would. I can see how undervalued I am to you, Morgana. You can have him back, bro." I held the cat out to Akira. "Morgana likes sleeping with boys instead."

"H-Hey, I don't like the insinuation you're making!"

"It's perfectly fine. I won't judge you for your choice." I dropped him onto Akira's stomach after he refused to the pick the cat up out of fear of Morgana's claws. "I've got Teddie to snuggle with anyway."

The blue and red bear smiled dopily from its spot on my bed. The toy was still unbearably creepy, but it ultimately reminded me of Goro and his vulnerable smile.

I still couldn't believe he got the thing for me because he thought I was weird. I wasn't that abnormal!

 


	7. Chapter 7

"Whoa, what is this place? Holy shit!" Ryuji raced around the treasure room, greedily eyeing all the golden objects. "That Treasure thing's gotta be in here!"

The others were equally as transfixed by the luxurious items in the hidden room. I was drawn to the glimmering distortion floating in front of the window.

The distortion was a thing of beauty.

**"You must resist it, child!"**

Gloriana's voice stopped me from touching the light.

My heart pounded erratically as I remembered to breathe.

"Hey, what is that? It's floating in the air." Ann repeated my thoughts. She stepped next to me, unaware of the episode I'd just experienced.

The boys admired the mysterious light, poking at it like some eager kids. None of them were as afflicted as I was.

What happened to me?

Gloriana was strangely unresponsive to my inquiry.

"That's the Treasure. We finally found it!" Morgana jumped in the air, rivers of joyful tears cascading down his big eyes.

"That cloudy thing is what we tore this Palace apart for? That's kinda disappointing." Akira deflated, stuffing his hands in his pockets since he was done poking at the light.

My brother was being a big, nerdy, baby.

Exploring and fighting off Shadows hadn't been easy. Kamoshida's Palace pushed the group to its limits and Akira was bummed that we hadn't found something more exciting like an actual treasure chest from a video game.

Boys.

"Just hold on a second. I was planning to tell you guys more once we made it this far." Morgana hopped on top of a large trophy to be at eye-level with us. "Simply finding the Treasure isn't enough. We'll need to make it materialize before we can steal it."

A collective sigh was the group's response to that.

"Whaddya mean?" Ryuji sagged against the trophy.

He wasn't the only one giving into exhaustion.

Ann tilted, dizzy now that we weren't dungeon crawling. I leaned on my brother, who was close to tipping over from my dramatics.

"Desires have no physical form by nature. Hence, we'll first need to make the real person aware that their desires are in fact a Treasure. Once they're conscious that their desires might be stolen the Treasure will finally show itself."

"But how do we do that?" Ann asked.

"We warn them. Tell them, 'We're going to steal your heart'."

"So we're gonna send a calling card?! That's totally what a phantom thief would do!" Ryuji shot up, eyes glittering childishly.

"Once we do that, the Treasure will appear for certain!" The cat's confidence wavered. "I think…"

"Seriously? Are you ever certain or are we always going to be guinea pigs?" The level of sarcasm coming from me was acidic and Morgana's remaining confidence diminished.

"I'm sure Morgana wouldn't steer us wrong. He's the expert here, we should trust him." Akira interceded, bringing a happy smile back to our feline comrade.

"Sounds like it's worth givin' it a shot." Ryuji agreed.

"Yeah, yeah. Trust, faith, and pixies dust. That's all we need." I waved him off irritably. "I'm allowed to be skeptical with such shoddy information."

"Well, our infiltration route is secure." Morgana said cheerfully to get team morale back up. "All that's left is to pump out a calling card in reality, then come back to take the Treasure!"

"This is it, huh?" Ann's eyes sparkled with determination.

Akira met her stare with the same intensity. "Let's do this for all the people that have been hurt by this man."

"That's the spirit!" The cat almost fell off his perch were it not for Ryuji catching him by the back of his bandana and setting him on the ground. Morgana coughed loudly and pretended to be unbothered. "Once we send out the calling card, there will be no turning back. Let me know when you're ready. We'll head back to the hideout and send out the calling card!"

Akira nodded. "Let's leave now. Everyone go home, rest up, and prepare for the next move."

We all acknowledged the order with no resistance. My brother was still shaky with his new position, but he was gradually adjusting to the role of team leader.

The ripples surrounded the group, returning us to the real world.

After checking for injuries we went our separate ways, too tired to hang out. Akira and I grabbed burgers on the way to train and gorged on them while fighting off sleep.

The trek to Leblanc was a sluggish one. The bell chime for the coffee shop was music to my ears. Sojiro dragged his eyes away from the dishes to greet us.

"If you're up for it, why don't you guys learn how to work here…" The old man trailed off after noticing how worn out we looked.

"I feel like this would be a good opportunity to become closer to Sojiro, maybe improve his impression of us." Akira whispered to me.

"I hear you, but I'm sooo tired." I whined.

He nudged me, flashing the dreaded do-what-I-say-cause-I'm-the-older-brother look.

"Fine." My brother smiled at my answer.

"We'll help." We said.

Sojiro grinned. "Put your things down. It's about time one of the regulars arrives. She's a talkative one."

We stashed our things upstairs. Aprons were given to us once we came back downstairs.

The owner dropped a clipboard on the counter. Notes and instructions were neatly written on the paper.

"Now then, since both of you will be working in my store, I'll need to hammer home the basics. Get what I'm talking about?"

"Making coffee."

"Hitting on girls like a skeeze."

"Glad to see at least the boy understands." Sojiro gave me the stink-eye. "This store's not the busiest around, but I'm real particular about how we make coffee here. And I'll kick both of you out no questions asked if you serve a bad cup, got it?"

Wow. Mulish about coffee, much?

"Let me tell you, Soji definitely does things right with his coffee. It goes so well with his special curry, I can't help but order the set meal every time." A gaudy woman sitting in the last booth chimed in.

"When did she get here?!" I muttered, startled.

"She's been here. You're just blind." Akira deadpanned.

"Says the one wearing glasses."

"Says the theatre expert that's supposed to be aware of her surroundings."

The adults carried on, ignoring our bickering.

"What can I say, each one of my regulars gets an experience personally tailored to them." The barista rubbed his neck in a manner that was meant to be humble, but came off as flirtatious.

The woman picked up on this.

"Can you tell me the key to that wonderful flavor, Soji? I'd love to make it at home sometime." She fluttered her eyes coyly.

"Sorry, that's a trade secret. You're free to try and guess based on the taste though."

"Cheapskate. Keeping secrets from me even though you know your food's always stolen my heart."

I mimicked gagging to Akira. I was curious to know if adults flirted differently from teenagers, but this display was giving me the creeps. He laughed into his hand.

"How about a nice dessert then? It's only three-hundred yen." The old man closed the sale with a charming smirk that won the woman over.

We were shown how to utilize the cash register and other simple appliances while the last customer finished her meal.

It had gotten too late for Sojiro to show us any recipes and he ended up settling with showing us the menu and explaining what he would teach us to cook.

I dreaded the future cooking lessons.

The basic rundown concluded after the woman paid and left.

"When you run a shop, you get all sorts of customers. Knowing their personalities is absolutely vital. That's what being in food service is all about." The barista cut the lecture short as the bell chimed at another customer's entrance. He turned with a greeting on the tip of his lips, but gasped at the sight of an overly cheerful man.

"Hello there! It's been quite a while, Sakura!"

Why was this man being so loud and painfully fake?

"I heard you opened up a shop, so here I am! It wouldn't have hurt to mention it to me though." The man strutted around the shop. "Huh, you've got a real nice location here. Right by the station and everything."

"Your order?" Sojiro barked.

Our guardian was clearly displeased with the stranger's arrival, so why wasn't he doing anything about it?

What bad blood did they have going on?

"No small talk? That's cold. Oh, but this smell…sure brings back memories! You're still making that curry, huh?" The stranger's facade slipped, revealing a mocking leer. "I guess you haven't gotten over her yet."

"Your order, sir?" From how badly Sojiro was grinding his teeth, I thought he might break some dentures.

"Haha, so pushy. I just stopped in to say hi today…but I'll be back again soon!" He left the shop and the old man sighed heavily.

Sojiro looked his age in that moment.

"I don't know where he caught wind of this place."

Akira's eyes met mine. We both had questions.

"That guy seemed suspicious with his preppy attitude. No one is that happy for no reason, especially walking into a coffee shop at night." I voiced, knowing my brother was too polite to comment.

"Heh, I guess you have eye for some things after all, girl." The lack of reprisal prompted Akira to speak up.

"Who was he?"

"If you brats have time for questions, you have time to learn about bean types. You're no use to me if you two can't pick up on the ABC's sometime soon." He deflected and looked at my twin with a raised eyebrow. "Besides, ladies love a guy who knows his coffee. This isn't such a bad deal for you."

"I don't really care for that stuff." Akira shook his head, curls covering his rising blush.

"Liar, you want all the ladies to love you. My brother wants his very own harem." I teased.

"Homura!" His fingers pulled at my cheek and my fists jabbed his side.

Our guardian snickered at our antics. "Come on, boy. You're supposed to play along. That's one of the core tenets of customer service."

"And what tricks will you show me, Sojiro? I'm sure I could attract the male base."

"No." He flat out refused.

"That's not fair! You're offering to teach my brother." I groused.

Actual tips from a male could help me win over Goro.

"That's different. I only want to see good behavior from you. In fact, I better not catch you flirting with ANY customers, got it?"

"You're either being sexist or plain discriminatory cause of my record. I don't like either option!"

"Can it." His deep voice drowned out mine. "I'm gonna teach you brats right. That way I'll be able to sit back and relax while you guys work."

"Crummy, old man."

"Why are your manner so horrible?" Akira tugged on my cheek again. "We won't disappoint you, sir."

"Sure. Let's start cleaning up. No slacking off, understood?"

* * *

**Take your time**

* * *

"Sir Suguru Kamoshida, the utter bastard of lust. We know how shitty you are, and that you put your twisted desires on students that can't fight back. That's why we have decided to steal away those desires and make you confess your sins. We hope you will be ready. From, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts." Ann finished reciting the message off a calling card she'd pulled off the bulletin board. Her excitement had all but dissolved and turned to disappointment. "Wow…"

Ryuji's exhilaration was palpable. He had put a lot of time and effort into the card.

Ann's next words were sure to dampen his spirit.

"Not bad, eh? I looked up a bunch of similar stuff online for reference."

"Um…yeah…" She struggled to be supportive without lying.

"Don't hold back now, it's your job as a friend to be honest." I goaded her with a playful nudge.

"I know what you wanted to say, but it sounded like an idiot trying to be an adult." I was honestly surprised that she took the plunge.

Morgana popped his head out of Akira's bag, all too eager to join in the critique. "Your logos a little lacking, too."

"Okay, y'know what…t-that ain't true!" He sputtered, face turning an angry red. I couldn't contain myself anymore and ended up laughing. "Not you, too!"

"Calm down, Ryuji. I'm not laughing at you. I actually thought the card was cute."

"C-Cute?! That's not what I was going for at all!" I tilted my head, wondering why the compliment didn't satisfy him. "Akira, dude. You at least liked it, right?!"

"It got the message across and is drawing lots of attention. It was an effective calling card." He answered without giving his actual opinion.

The noise level from the students rose as they speculated about the Phantom Thieves.

"It did get everyone excited, so I guess it's all good." Ryuji scoffed and kicked at the ground.

The hall became quiet as Kamoshida shoved students out the way to reach the bulletin board.

"Who's responsible for this?!" The gym teacher howled.

"Look at that. A predictable reaction for someone who knows what we mean by distorted desires." Morgana cackled.

"I think it's hittin' him pretty hard." Ryuji's pouting ceased.

Kamoshida whirled around, tossing accusations. "Did you do this?! Or was it you?!"

The students ran from the incensed teacher, leaving our group and a few stragglers as the only ones in the hallway. The man's rage increased as his eyes landed on us.

"Was it you two?!" The boys had become his focus now.

He gave Ann and I no consideration as he bumped us out of his path.

Akira had to stop Ryuji from doing something stupid by grabbing the blonde's shoulder. He wanted to take action himself, judging by how icy his eyes had become. They were both annoyed with the man's rude treatment towards Ann and I.

"What are you talking about?" My brother challenged, daring the man to show his true colors in front of witnesses.

Kamoshida realized this as he spotted some students still hovering and the ones poking their heads out of classrooms.

"So you're playing dumb?" He sneered. "Eh, it's not a problem. You'll be expelled soon enough anyway."

The atmosphere shifted suddenly. The world went black.

I sucked in a scream as I noticed the others were still with me and undergoing a similar state of panic.

"Come…steal it, if you can!" Shadow Kamoshida appeared in place of the real one.

The world went back to normal.

We all let out a relieved breath as the gym teacher walked away. No one commented on the bizarre couple seconds that just passed.

"Judging from Kamoshida's response…I'm sure we had an effect on his Palace!" Morgana surmised.

"Does that mean the Treasure's appeared? We'll be able to get it today, right?!" The model recovered first from the supernatural phenomena.

"It's not just 'today'. It's ONLY today. The impact of seeing a calling card doesn't last long and it cannot be repeated. This will be our one chance to steal the Treasure."

"One day's more than enough for us." The delinquent bragged.

"Let's go steal that bikini-wearing perv's desires!" The others laughed at my insult.

"Shadow Kamoshida really needs a fashion consultant, ASAP." Ann remarked.

Trash-talking both versions of Kamoshida continued till we made it to the school roof and into the Palace.

With the infiltration route already secured, our leader teleported the group to the last safe room for easy access to the Treasure.

"What the hell's going on here? The door's just sittin' open and there aren't any soldiers around…" Ryuji wearily entered the throne room, expecting a Shadow to ambush us.

"This place is probably undermanned now that they all got assigned elsewhere." Morgana waltzed in without a care. "Either way, we win as long as we can steal the Treasure. Let's keep going!"

The group moved to the final room. Kamoshida's desires had materialized into a giant crown.

"Aww yeeeeeeah! The Treasure has appeared!" The cat bounced around the floating object.

"Man, it's huge!" Ryuji exclaimed.

"What do you think?! It's just as I said. Now we steal it!" The cat's eyes became larger than I thought was physically possible. "Ahh…this sure brings tears to my eyes."

"It kinda pisses me off. Why's it so pretty? Isn't this Kamoshida's desires?" Ann complained, moodily crossing her arms. She chose to keep a distance from the Treasure.

As I approached it, that tugging feeling emerged once more.

Human desire given physical form, it was beyond beautiful. It was…enthralling.

I wanted to posses it…

**"I will not continue to reiterate myself! You must control yourself. No paltry manifestation such as this should bewitch you!"** Gloriana screeched from within.

My hand stopped just short of touching the crown.

"Everything okay, sis?" Akira's hand landed on top of my head, softly petting me.

"S-Sorry…I don't know what came over me." I stepped away from the tempting object. "Morg, on the other hand probably thinks its catnip."

The feline was sprawled over the Treasure, meowing like there was no tomorrow. Ryuji and Ann gapped at the display.

Why had the Treasure affected me as badly as it did Morgana? This was the second time it caught me off guard!

"All right, that's enough, you stupid cat!" Ryuji yanked Morgana off and tossed him to the ground.

He hissed at his aggressor before bowing his head shamefully to Ann. "Forgive me for displaying such an insolent sight in front of a lady."

The object of his affection politely smiled at him, still ignorant to the cat's fawning.

I huffed. Morgana was doing this on purpose. "It's like I'm not even female."

"You were completely out of character too. What was that about?" She inquired.

"I couldn't stop it either…to think I'd be drawn to human desires this much." Morgana moaned before perking up. "Doesn't that prove that I'm human?!"

"How should we know?" Ryuji retorted indignantly.

"A-Anyway, you guys need to carry it."

The boys groaned. The crown looked immensely heavy.

"All you do is bark orders." The delinquent grumbled, flanking one side of the object. "Still, this was easier than I thought. For sure thought there'd be some insane trap or something."

"Don't jinx us." Akira warned, taking the other side.

"This Palace will disappear if we take this back, right? And Kamoshida will change too..." Ann clenched her fists, mind probably going back to her friend lying unconscious in a hospital.

"That should be the case." Morgana glanced worriedly at her.

"Good. Now's our chance then." Ryuji pulled the Treasure down.

He and Akira struggled to hold its weight on their own. Ann and I had to assist them in carrying the crown out. Even with four of us transporting it, our pace was painfully slow.

"To think it'd go so well…I've even found four Persona in the process. My judgement was correct. I made the right choice in making a deal with Akira Kurusu. Nyahaha!" Morgana gloated and skipped next to us.

"Stupid, cat. Getting out of all the hard work. I should kick you." I cursed when the crown almost tipped over from Ryuji missing a step. "Watch out, some of us will be pancakes if this falls!"

"Dang it, I know!"

"Guys, shut up and move! This is heavy!" Ann shouted over us.

Once at the bottom of the stairs, we stopped for a breather.

Morgana's chipper actions desisted and he went still as his ears twitched. His warning came too late as the crown was knocked out of our grasp by something hitting it.

The ruler of the Palace descended from the upper floor, strolling up to his throne. He raised his hand. The crown shrunk and flew to its master. Princess Skimpy ran up the dais, hanging off the perv like a second limb.

"I won't let anyone take this! This proves that I am the king of this castle- it is the core of this world!" Shadow Kamoshida juggled the Treasure while glaring at us.

"That rat bastard." Ann hissed, eyes burning holes into the doppelgänger tracing circles on the king's bare chest. "That's how he sees me, isn't it?!"

"Yo, pervert. Were you waitin' to ambush us?" Ryuji yelled, keeping his eyes off Princess Skimpy out of respect for Ann and fear for what she might do to him for ogling her clone.

Akira scrambled to do the same, but his eyes furtively slid back to Princess Skimpy every few seconds.

I would have laughed and teased my brother if the situation were different.

"I just made it easier to find you. I'll dispose of you myself. Right here, right now."

"What? This creep tricked us?!" I was taken back by the brilliant plan. Stealing the Treasure was so easy because he allowed us to.

We left ourselves perfectly open for an ambush.

"No way! That's our line, you sexually-harassin' D-bag!" Ryuji refuted.

"What a selfish misunderstanding." Shadow Kamoshida shook his head, pity lacing his gold eyes.

Ann bristled. "How is it a misunderstanding?! You were doing things that you kept in secret from others!"

My brother and I suddenly felt like outsiders from the shouting match developing between the outcasts and their tormentor.

"The people around me were the ones who kept it a secret." The corrupt man defended himself. "Adults who want to share in my accomplishments, students who have the drive to become winners. They willingly protect me so that we all may profit from it."

"Profit?!" Ryuji almost bit his tongue from how quickly his teeth smashed together.

"There are too many imbeciles who don't understand that! Including naive brats like you and that girl who tried to kill herself."

"True, she's a total idiot…letting you manipulate her, trying to commit suicide…" Ann breathed in deeply, trading sadness for anger. "And I'm even more of a dumbass for not realizing that. But no matter what kind of fool someone might be…they don't need your permission to live their lives!"

"Drop the attitude, you mediocre peasant! There's no wrong in using my gifts for my gain!" In his burst of rage, Shadow Kamoshida slapped Princess Skimpy off. She pouted at the dismissal, but was otherwise unbothered. "I'm cut above all other humans!"

Ann curled her lip at the clone's continued fawning. "Above? You mean beneath. You're a goddam demon obsessed with your sick desires!"

"That's right. I'm not like you…" He chuckled, jerking Princess Skimpy into his side and lifting the Treasure up. "I am a demon who rules this world!"

Red flames enveloped the two and the king's chuckles became distorted. I shielded my eyes from the intensity of the flames.

"W-What the hell?!" Ryuji screamed in an uncharacteristically high-pitch.

I lowered my arm and shrieked just as bad as him.

The speedo-wearing ruler had morphed into a deformed pink monster with four arms, horns, and a long tongue.

"I'm allowed to do whatever the hell I want!" Shadow Kamoshida decreed.

I gagged and ended up bumping into Akira. He steadied me with a firm shoulder squeeze.

"You're wrong." Our leader stepped in front of me, pulling out his knife. "Let's finish this, guys."

We rallied behind him and aimed our weapons at the Palace Ruler.

"You goddam, no-good, shitty brats! Haven't you been taught not to point at people?!" The monster slashed at us with a baton.

We each dispersed, escaping the hit.

"Look! The Treasure's there!" Morgana pointed at the crown adorning the perv's head. "We should catch him off guard and steal it. Let's attack him and wait for that opportunity!"

"Got, it." Akira nodded. "Everyone be careful when attacking."

The battle proved tougher than any of our previous ones. Physical and magical attacks did minimal damage and avoiding a grizzly death by impaling was difficult when dealing with a four-armed creature that used three of those arms to attack with.

The boys were having an easier time than Ann and I.

Perverted tendencies had heightened with Shadow Kamoshida's transformation. If the red thief escaped his eyes then he focused on me. Whenever this happened both of us went into a frenzy of attacks to dissuade the creep from adding us to his collection of female captives in the trophy cup or with Princess Skimpy in the wine glass.

"Bro, look out!" I hollered, diving in front of him to block the assault of volleyballs. My broadsword blocked the attack, but left me wide-open for the monster's counterattack.

I was deaf to the world after hitting the wall.

**"You must get up. Don't allow this heathen to beat you!"** Gloriana roared, appearing over me protectively and launching a Kouha at Shadow Kamoshida.

The attack annoyed him enough that he stabbed his fork into the trophy, lifting up the lower half of a female's body and consuming it.

"Come at me, you pieces of shit! I ain't lettin' you sleep tonight!" He cried, reinvigorated.

I shook with revulsion.

"He healed himself?! It it because he ate those inside there?" Morgana rushed to my side, casting a Dia and providing cover for me to retreat to the back. "We've got to stop him from healing!"

"Everyone focus on destroying the trophy!" Akira switched Arsene for Berith.

The Persona rammed into the cup, chipping it.

"Hey! You don't know what this is worth, so stop touching it!" Shadow Kamoshida protested. "Don't do it anymore, got it? I've warned you!"

"When someone tells us not to do something, it makes us want to do it even more!" Morgana purred, calling on Zorro for a Guru.

"Look out for that nasty thing!" Ann yelped when the monster's long purple tongue came after us all.

"Time for some jump rope." I jested, jumping over it.

The others followed my example with the exception of the cat, who thought he was small enough to dodge the attack by ducking.

Morgana was proven wrong and paid the price. He rolled around, lamenting how violated he felt.

Poor cat.

The battle carried on with everyone attacking the trophy and doing their best to not get hit by any perverted attacks. The repetitiveness of dodge and attack went on until Akira devised for Ann and I to divert Shadow Kamoshida's attention long enough for them to destroy the cup.

We went along with the plan grudgingly.

When the gaudy thing finally shattered, Ann and I remained paralyzed on the ground from the sacrifice we'd made for the boys.

I felt as though I would need to burn my thief attire. The exposure to the creature's tongue had left them moist and sticky and there were holes littered along my dress. Ann's clothing probably felt worse since it was actually skin tight.

I barely registered Morgana using multiple Dias and crying for us not to go into the light.

**"The things we must do for victory. I applaud you, child, for your commendable courage and devotion."**

"No way…this was from when I won the national." Shadow Kamoshida went sill, lazy eyes fixated on the fading fragments of his chalice.

"Now's our chance, people." Akira exchanged his knife for a gun.

Ann and I dragged ourselves up and joined the boys to surround the Palace Ruler in a hold-up.

"You think you can get away with doing such a thing? Do you realize who I am?! I am Kamoshida! Don't you get it?!"

"Yeah, we do, but so what?" Akira responded dispassionately.

"Like I keep saying. I am Kamoshida! I'm the King!"

"Ohhhh, my god! He's a broken record. Can we break his jaw already?!" My finger trembled over the trigger.

I was still reeling from the feeling of his tongue dragging across my body.

I freaking hated both versions of Kamoshida!

"You look down on everyone, but you're seriously lame right now." Ryuji spat.

"We came all this way to steal that!" Ann jabbed her gun at the crown. "Will you just give it up and hand it over?"

"Silence! I won't let the likes of you have this."

"You still have the energy to say things like that?" Morgana pulled his slingshot back. "Then we're going to up our game as well."

Shadow Kamoshida wasn't prepared for our all-out attack. As merciless as we were, it still wasn't enough to down the beast, but it did leave him dazed.

"I'm the king! If I'm not, then who is?!"

"I swear, if he goes on about this king nonsense one more time, I'm going to rip his tongue out and feed it to him!" I'd had it with the perv's mindless ranting.

"Damn, girl. That's dark." Ryuji shuffled away from me.

**"You would have made a fine executioner or interrogator in my time. They thrived on violence."**

"We won't get anywhere with brute force…" Morgana darted his big eyes elsewhere as I glared at him for the obvious attack on my fighting style. "What do we do?"

He looked to Akira.

"Let's go for the crown. We need to secure the Treasure. At this rate we won't last long."

"I see…in that case, time for Plan B! Look over at that terrance." The feline gestured up the next floor level. "While the others are drawing Kamoshida's attention, have someone go there. Let's steal the Treasure without him noticing!"

The time for talking was up. Shadow Kamoshida came out of his stupor and resumed trying to stab us all.

Who would Akira send for the plan?

Ann and I weren't options since the perv would notice our absence. My brother couldn't do it, he had to issue orders. Which left Morgana or Ryuji.

"Ryuji, you're up." He decided.

"You got it, man. I'm ready to take this douche-bag down!" The delinquent exited the battle and hid behind a column.

It was up to the rest of us to keep the creature preoccupied.

More ranting ensued until the pervert cackled about delivering his final attack. Our offensive assault became frenzied and sloppy as we tried to prevent the kill-shot.

Ryuji was nearly in place to steal the Treasure. We only needed to hold out a little longer.

**"Here comes his ultimate move. Defend, child!"** Gloriana's warning came right as the room darkened and Shadow Kamoshida pelted us with a giant volleyball.

The attack greatly damaged the throne room.

Dust and debris covered the area. Zorro cleared the dust with a Guru, revealing that Akira and Ann had been knocked out. Morgana and I were the last ones standing, but we were fighting to do even that.

"B-Bro…" I mumbled, falling to the ground and crawling to him. Slaps wouldn't wake him and the king was preparing for another attack.

Panic seized me.

This was why I hadn't wanted to come back to the Palace! I knew this place was dangerous!

My brother was out cold and likely to be killed because I couldn't protect him.

I failed him.

How would Dad react to this?

How would Mom? She'd be devastated about Akira, but unconcerned about me…

**"Be calm and stand! Together, we can change the tide of battle. You only have to be willing to face the fight."**

Gloriana appeared behind me, silencing the doubts infesting my mind.

"Morgana, take care of the healing and I'll cover you." I forced myself up, gathering the last of my strength for one last Kouha.

The bless skill deterred Shadow Kamoshida for only a moment. His fork knocked my sword out of my hands and it went spinning into the wall. Gloriana shoved me back and took the other hit meant for me.

NO!

Ryuji abruptly flew through the air, knocking the crown off the king's head. Without the Treasure, Shadow Kamoshida's power vanished and he slumped into another catatonic state.

"This time, we finish it." A recovered Akira held his hand out to me.

I took it and let him tug me up.

**"Do beat him senseless for me. He ruined my dress and no one is allowed to strike a queen."**

Gloriana retreated back to my soul and for the final time we all attacked until the target fizzled into a shower of black and red flames, returning to the form of a speedo-wearing perv.

"We frickin' did it!" Ryuji whooped, bending down to claim the shrunken crown. He clenched air as it was snatched by Shadow Kamoshida.

The man paced erratically by the balcony, scanning for possible exits but finding none.

"What's wrong? Not running away?" Ann taunted, knowing the only escape route was off the ledge. "Why don't you run? Aren't you a great athlete?"

"It's always been like this…all those goddam hyenas forcing their expectations on me!" He sniveled. "I'm doing this all for them! What's wrong about demanding a reward for that?!"

"Now you're makin' excuses?" Ryuji growled. "We'll do something about that distorted heart of yours."

The ruler backed further into the balcony, chewing his lip as he looked between the ledge and us.

"Scared?" Ann's voice took on a deadly edge. "Right now, you're seeing the same view that Shiho did." She loomed over the fallen man. "I'm sure she was scared too…except she had no choice but to jump. What will you do? Will you jump? Or would you rather die here?"

Things were turning ugly. I didn't know if I should support Ann's line of thinking or stop it.

I knew what Akira's stance was. He was barely holding himself back from intervening.

Carmen materialized with Agis burning hotly in her hands.

"What is your command, dear?" She cooed, smirking cruelly at the sweaty ruler.

"Do you want to finish him off? It's your call." Morgana left the final verdict up to Ann.

Could she really do it? Could she kill Kamoshida's Shadow, knowing it might kill the real one?

Did she have that kind of darkness inside her soul?

My heart thumped painfully at the anticipation.

"No, please wait! I beg you…just forgive me!" The king pleaded.

"Shut up. I bet everyone told you the same. But you…you took everything from them!" She refused and Carmen sent one of the fireballs near Shadow Kamoshida's head.

"I accept defeat…you want this? Take it." He thew the crown to Akira. "Go ahead and finish me off. You do that…and my real self will go down too. You have that right since you've won."

That triggered Carmen's last fireball.

"Ann, stop!" Ryuji grabbed her hand.

The fire sailed past the sobbing Shadow and Carmen disappeared in a huff. Ann shook her head, ridding herself of the few tears that had escaped.

"If his mind shuts down, he can't admit his crimes." She muttered.

Ann didn't go through with it.

She had plenty of reasons to kill her tormentor and she didn't. Ryuji had the right as well and he tried to stop her…

I didn't like the uncomfortable apprehension their actions left me with.

Would I have made the same choice if the man who ruined my brother and I's futures was in front of me and just as defeated and pitiful as Kamoshida?

Gloriana didn't answer when I asked what she thought I might do.

"You're kind, Lady Ann…" Morgana swooned, but then hissed at the point of contact between Ryuji and Ann.

The two jerked their hands away like they'd been burned from the intimate moment. Too bad their masks covered most of their blushing faces.

"I've lost, you're through when you lose. What am I…what I am i supposed to do now?" Shadow Kamoshida whispered, head hung low.

"Atone for your sins. There are people that you've hurt. They deserve justice." Akira declared, glancing at the two blondes.

The Shadow looked like a different person without his old arrogant expressions as he stared at Ryuji and Ann. An air of resignation overtook him.

"All right…I will leave now and return to my real self." He almost seemed peaceful as he faded into flecks of white light. "I'll make certain that I-"

The sentiment went unfinished as the ruler vanished. Immediately after, the room began to shake.

It felt like the castle was falling apart.

"We don't have time to waste. This place is falling apart!" Morgana waved his tiny arms around.

"Can't we just teleport out?" I withdrew my phone and accessed the metaverse app. It read an error message when I tried to return us to the real world or at least the entrance.

"You've got to be joking! We gotta run out of here?!" Ryuji latched onto his bad leg.

"We don't have any other choice. This place must be too unstable for the app to work properly." Akira frowned at his phone also giving him an error message.

Ann screamed after the chandelier crashed nearby.

"Let's get out of here!" She took off.

"Right behind you!" I ran after her with the boys behind me.

"We're gonna die! We're so gonna die!" Ann bemoaned her bad luck. Despite being the first one to run, she'd ended up in the back. And I thought my stamina sucked. "Hey, what the?!"

The minute I turned to see what the problem was, a heavy weight landed on my head and then lifted. The imbalance almost caused me to trip.

"No fair, you jerk!" Ryuji's cursing alerted me to where the mysterious assaulter was.

"Morgana, how did you become a cat?!" My question was answered with a meow as he settled on Akira's shoulder.

Next thing I knew, I went tumbling into the ground from Ryuji bumping into me. He ended up sprawled on top of me, clutching his leg.

"Ryuji, Homura!" Ann raced back for us.

"It's been awhile so I just tripped, is all." He tried to play it off by rolling off me like his leg wasn't causing him serious pain.

"Oh, shut up with that weak tough-guy act." I pulled him up and draped his arm over my shoulder, ignoring his flustered excuses as I supported his weight.

"It's not an act, I'm fine damn it!"

"Obviously not if you fell on top of me!"

Ryuji growled as he attempted to come up with a convincing rebuttal.

"Will the two of you stop it?! Just get moving before we're buried alive!" Ann yelled over us, brandishing her whip threateningly.

We shut our mouths and moved.

By the time the group made it outside the entire place was sinking into the moat. The return to reality was jarring as we all stopped panicking about drowning once we realized we were on concrete.

"That sucked…I've never gotten such a workout before." Ann keeled over and wiped the sweat from her brow.

Ryuji and I leaned against each other for a few more minutes before he removed his arm from my shoulder and slid to ground.

As tough as he tried to act, the guy wouldn't have made it without my help.

"The nav's changed." Akira held his phone out for everyone to see. A notification flashed on the screen.

"The destination has been deleted." The robotic voice informed us.

"Is it…really gone?" I asked.

Ann tried inputing the keywords for the Palace after failing to find it in the history.

"It's true…" She announced.

"What about the Treasure?!" Morgana wailed.

"You mean this?" Akira withdrew a large medal from his pocket.

"A medal? Wait, where'd the crown go?" Ann poked at the medal.

"What's goin' on?" Ryuji pushed himself off the ground.

Akira let me take the medal to observe it. It felt cold and heavy like a real medal would. There wasn't anything weird or enthralling about it either.

Was this thing really the Treasure? Why wasn't it affecting me like it did in the Palace?

"It means that was the source of Kamoshida's desires. To him, this medal is worth as much as that crown we saw in the Palace." The cat explained.

"An Olympic medal…" Ryuji's confusion turned bitter. "So, that perv kept clingin' to his past glory and couldn't let it go."

"But that means that Kamoshida's heart might have changed, right?" Ann pressed.

"Probably…" Morgana hesitated in the face of her hopeful face.

"Our expulsion's on the line here!" Ryuji shouted.

"This is the first successful example for me too." Morgana justified his inexperience with a casual flick of his tail. "However, there's no doubt that this has affected Kamoshida's personality quite a lot. The entire Palace disappeared after all."

"Ugh, I feel all antsy! Ain't there a way to check now?"

"We'll know soon enough." Akira took the optimistic approach. "What matters is that we took a shot at change. I'm sure it'll all work out."

"I hope you're right. Our lives don't need anymore drastic complications." I mumbled, a touch irritated with my brother's dismissal of the potential consequences of our failure.

His optimism could be aggravating at times.

Shujin was the only school to accept us with our records. If we got expelled from the school, then a poverty-riddled future awaited us.

Morgana sighed loudly. "Come on, why the gloomy faces? Be happy! We completed this with great success, you know?"

"We just don't know if everything's okay yet." Ryuji pointed out. "Some of us have a lot riding on this."

"Like our leader said, I'm pretty sure it'll be fine." The cat leaped onto Akira's shoulder once more. "Remember how Kamoshida's Shadow said that he's returning to his self in reality? Suguru Kamoshida was a scum."

"He…he didn't look a hundred percent wretched in the end. I mean, if you exclude all that sniveling and begging he looked kinda remorseful." I added. That flicker of peace as Shadow Kamoshida vanished had stuck with me.

That gave me more hope than Morgana's unsure promises.

"He did seem to regain his conscience somewhat at the end." He agreed.

"That alone should be proof that it worked." Akira asserted.

"There are definitely those who have been saved thanks to what you've all done."

Ryuji and Ann were mollified by that piece of news.

The volleyball players were safe from further harm and Suzui wouldn't have to live in fear when she awoke from her coma. At the very least some things had been accomplished.

"I guess we gotta wait." The delinquent conceded. "It all boils down to what's gonna happen to Kamoshida…or if we're gettin' expelled for real."

"Let's head home. I think we've had enough for the day." Akira suggested.

That was an understatement.

 


	8. Chapter 8

"Isn't this fun, big brother?" I smiled radiantly at Akira, wiping a trickle of sweat off my forehead.

While I wasn't much of a sports person, the batting cages were strangely therapeutic for me. My last hit landed dead center in the bullseye.

"This is agony." He groaned, sweatier than me and hunched over trying to catch his breath like a drowned man.

His shots were less than accurate, but he still managed to occasionally hit the bullseye.

Knife-throwing and dart lessons with Dad guaranteed him better aim than the average person, it was just the addition of the bat making Akira's shot so inconsistent.

We'd been at this workout for a good two hours straight and our muscles were starting to feel the burn. My fingers were cramped and my palms stung. Akira's legs and arms wobbled with every movement.

While this had been a good alternative to going to the gym, we weren't supposed to be exerting ourselves per Dr. Takemi's orders.

I needed an outlet though and who better to drag with me than my over-indulgent big brother? As twins it was his duty to suffer alongside me.

"You're such a bony wimp. I can't fathom why all the girls thought you were such a dreamboat at our old school." I poked mercilessly at his cheek after he sank to the ground in exhaustion.

Sports had always been a weakness of his, which was why it was surprising that he agreed so often to go running with Ryuji.

After each run Akira would collapse on the couch and stay there for a good thirty minutes, dead to the world as he recovered functionality in his legs. I would laugh relentlessly while handing him a bottle of water to chug down as Morgana fretted over him to no avail.

The stupid boy would continue doing selfless things, even when it inconvenienced him.

"Sue me for not having massive upper-body strength to lob around a giant sword." Akira removed his glasses and swept back his drenched bangs. He quirked his lip upwards in a manner similar to me. "One could say you're overcompensating for something with that thing."

"Shut up. Don't pretend to be me, it's not right!" I punched him.

Were Morgana here and not napping in the attic like the lazy feline he truly was, he'd be in fritz, wondering if we switched bodies like that movie we'd seen the other night.

We sat in silence, catching our breath and trying to relax in spite of the blazing sun frying us.

The school assembly had been an eye-opener.

Our ragtag group of Phantom Thieves managed to change Kamoshida's heart without killing him. Watching the bastard cry and beg to be locked up in front of hundreds of people was as mind-boggling as it was satisfying.

Never in a million years had I expected our actions in the Metaverse to bear fruit.

We did something helpful for dozens of students.

Suzui and Ann's reputations were cleared and the hospitalized girl would have justice for the violation of her body. The boys and I wouldn't be expelled. None of the volleyball members would ever be subjected to abuse again.

We changed lives without damaging our own.

"You okay, Homu?"

I looked up from my knees. "I think this is the first time I'm not mad at you for dragging me into something."

His face scrunched up in that way it did when Akira was displeased, but would make no mention of it. An ingrained form of polite indifference that ticked me off because I was his twin, not some stranger.

"You do drag me into your heroics, admit it." I insisted.

If my brother had a problem with something then he should spit it out instead of bottling it up.

"I can't ignore people who need help. It's not right." He sat up and met my gaze firmly.

"What's not right is taking the fall for 'what's right'." An ugly argument was brewing, one that hadn't been addressed since the incident. My mouth wouldn't stop moving now that I'd let the steam out. "People are ungrateful so why bother? They don't want our help!"

"So, you don't have a problem this time because everything turned out good, but the other time is an issue because it went wrong?" He addressed some of my concerns, but still refused to get to the meat of it.

"And? Everybody's like that."

Akira frowned deeply. "You can't pick and choose who to help based on the end results, that's selfish."

His undisguised disappointment stung. I stood up, stomping my foot in frustration.

Why? Why was I wrong for following the example set before me?!

Why did my efforts to be regular end with someone in my family disappointed?!

Why could I never win?!

"No, it's not! People only help each other when there's something in it for them. Everybody is selfish, including me!"

Mom dedicated so much time to my upbringing because she didn't want her friends to continue gossiping about how uncultured and unladylike her daughter was. Boys talked to me for the purpose of experiencing first-hand my reputation as a prostitute. Girls approached me for access to Akira or opportunities to degrade me.

No one in this day and age had noble intentions.

Dad and Akira were anomalies that I couldn't understand.

"What's in it for you then, sis? Why did you get involved with the drunk?" Akira tried a different approach instead of squabbling with me like I wanted.

I didn't even need to think about my reply. "That guy was going to hurt you. Of course I got involved!"

A smile broke through on my brother's face before it returned to solemnity. "And now with Kamoshida?"

There were many responses I could give to that question.

"We were going to get expelled and Mom and Dad would never forgive us for that…"

"Tell me the real reason."

I could give dozens of reasons, but there was just one that kept nagging me, one that stayed with me.

"…He was…hurting a lot of people…"

I despised seeing someone in pain, it made me mad beyond reason. I blamed Goro for installing that dislike in me.

His life as a foster kid was so shitty that every victimized kid was him in my eyes. I'd lost count of how many kids I ended up punching in the eye because they picked on my friend.

Mom shut that down with a stern slap and reprimand.

Girls weren't supposed to bare fists at people, even if they were being cruel. The sting in my cheek contradicted that lesson.

"Homu, you just killed your argument both times. You're not selfish, just a whiny brat." Akira bumped his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry about getting us into this situation. I really am. If I could go back in time and keep you out of trouble, I would. You're my little sister, your happiness means the world to me."

He finished with a gentle rub of my head. I shoved him away, burning with shame, irritation, and happiness.

A jumbled mess of contradictions. I hated puberty.

"Shut up, you're so lame! And that apology is super late."

Dammit! Why was he always making me look stupid?! Stupid, perfect, Akira Kurusu!

"Better late than never." He used his shirt to wipe at his still perspiring face. "Can you dial back on the aggression now?"

I crossed my arms and sniffed snobbishly. "Truce. I won't be verbally or physically abusing you until your next transgression."

"Gee, how magnanimous of you. I'm so thankful to not have my adorable sister abuse me." He mockingly bowed his head in appreciation.

Were a top hat on his head, he might've tipped that too. Arsene was rubbing off on him.

"Gloriana is rubbing off on you, too. You were weird before, now you're worse."

I must've mentioned his Persona out loud.

"Why thank you, brother dear."

"I'm not complimenting you."

"It sounded like one."

Akira buried his face in his hand. "My conceited sister."

"Your adorable, magnificent, artful, twin sister." I puffed my chest out and posed with the bat tilted against the ground, the same pose I struck in the Metaverse with my sword.

Sadly, without my costume there was no billowing dress to accompany my expansive hair as it fluttered in the wind.

"My name is Homura Kurusu, Queen of Queens. Look on my splendor and despair."

"You just butchered a great poem." Akira said flatly. He turned away from me and methodically began putting everything away. "I'm leaving."

"Wait for the queen!" I yelled, scrambling after his hasty exit.

We would have to clean up at the communal baths before going home since Sojiro would have customers at this time.

Akira went into the male side while I entered the female side for bathing. Luckily, the place was empty so I hosed myself down and flopped naked into the steamy bath, making myself comfortable half submerged in the water.

I didn't have to be proper with a towel hiding my figure or demurely interact with other occupants. I could unwind freely.

Pretending to be a good girl could be so very tiring.

" _I'm a shapeshifter at Poe's masquerade, hiding both face and mind. All free for you to draw."_ I sang the next verse of the song I'd composed. My voice echoed off the walls pleasantly. _"I'm a shapeshifter. What else should I be? Please don't take off my mask, revealing dark."_

At the rate I was going I'd have a hit on my hands.

Those theatre snobs made a big mistake by rejecting me, a triple threat of singing, dancing, and acting. Plus I could compose and play the piano. Anybody in drama would kill to have me on their payroll.

No matter. I'd show them all.

One day my face was going to be on the big screen for all to adore and worship.

"Goro would be my biggest fan, bringing me flowers and chocolates to my dressing room. And kissing me good luck." I giggled to myself and sank further into the water.

The Detective Prince and the Idol Princess, the envy of every couple nationwide!

"Pfttt, I'm so silly!" I shook my head to rid myself of the fantasy and blush staining my cheeks.

Even when not present Goro made me utterly lovesick and it was a million times worse now that we could meet in person instead of long distance communication.

"Why is there water everywhere?" A random arrival asked.

I dived into the water and stayed under to avoid the woman's questions. All my flailing had caused a mess.

Private time was over.

The woman shrieked as I emerged and she covered her eyes in the face of my bareness.

"All yours, Madame. I apologize for the mess." I swiped up my things and skipped out, catching the last end of the woman's reminder to wear a towel in the bath.

After getting dressed I found Akira lounging at the entrance and eating a frozen treat from the vending machine.

"Did you get one for me?" I held my hand out expectantly for a popsicle.

He pressed the item into my cheek, earning a cry of cold from me.

"This hits the spot."

"Homura, you didn't dry your hair." Akira topped off his treat and tugged on the towel draped around my neck for protection against the wet locks I'd put in a messy bun.

"So? It'll air-dry. I didn't feel like standing under a dryer for thirty minutes." I leaned away from his grabby hands.

"You're eating a popsicle and have a mane of wet hair. You're going to get sick."

"No, I'm not. Let me eat my snack in peace." I swatted his hand away for the third time.

He frowned reproachfully and his lips moved to scold me, but then his expression abruptly lightened as he looked past me.

"Hey, Goro."

"What? Where?" My head swirled around, searching for the brunette. "I don't see him. You must actually need those glasses."

The warmth around my neck disappeared and before I could question it, my hair came out of its bun and a weight settled on my head.

"Hey?!"

"Don't struggle." Akira rubbed the towel over my hair, wringing out the moisture.

"Goro wasn't here, was he?" I let him do as he please and went back to eating my popsicle.

"Nope."

"Jerk-faced manipulator."

"I learned from the best, sis."

I chuckled. "You're finally admitting I'm the best at something. If only Mom and Dad could hear."

"Manipulation is not a quality to brag about." My brother sighed. "Your proud of the wrong things, I tell you."

By the time I finished eating, Akira had dried my hair. He snickered at how wild and frizzy it became from his ministrations. I resisted the temptation to punch him.

We entered Leblanc and an unexpected visitor was waiting for us at the bar.

"Dad?!" Akira and I said together.

He looked up from his conversation with Sojiro and beamed at us. "Kiddos!"

Seeing that easy smile took me back to trips to the park and long car rides by the ocean. Kazuki Kurusu was the epitome of an easy-going parent that was always ready for a good time.

My feet moved before I realized it.

"Homu, my favorite girl." Dad stood up, arms wide to receive me like I five again and small enough to envelop in one arm.

Many a time I had collapsed tearfully into those arms.

I stopped myself from getting caught in that old tendency.

"What're you doing here?" The bite in my voice made his smile falter.

Dad had stood by and did nothing as Mom berated me for ruining my future and being a horrible daughter. The argument escalated from there and I was sent to my room with Akira as our parents lamented over our criminal records. I didn't need to be present to know that Mom blamed me for her favorite child's darkened future.

To her I was going nowhere and dragging my brother down…

I was to blame for that night in her eyes.

Dad of all people should have defended me instead of resignedly observing as he had been over the years. How could he so passive and still expect me to smile at him?!

"Ah, well, um…" Dad blinked, still holding out his arms for a hug that wouldn't come.

"Don't be rude, sis." Akira muttered to me and then came to Dad's rescue by stepping forward to save the man from his failed introduction. "Hi, Dad. It's nice to see you."

"Haha, you're always so polite." He enveloped the child willing to accept his hug. "Good to see you too, son."

"How long have you been chatting?" I inquired of the strangely silent Sojiro.

The sign on the door had been switched to closed and two cups of coffee were on the counter.

"Long enough for me to complain about your crass behavior." The barista replied tartly. "And what happened to your hair? Stick your finger in a socket?"

"No! It's Akira's fault." I blushed defensively as Dad guffawed.

"Don't pick on her, Sojiro. The Kurusu curls aren't easy to manage." Dad scratched at his own grey curls that he kept trimmed in a professional manner. He used to wear it long and messy like Akira's.

If it weren't for his jovial demeanor, most people would think he was older than forty-four just from the grey. Dad always had to explain to people that the grey was natural from birth and people would reply that maybe he was just born stressed-out.

Please.

"Those curls managed to win over a few girls back in the day, right Kazu?" Sojiro smirked. "Asuka being the main one."

"Yeah…Asuka was mystified by them." Dad laughter was painfully forced to my trained-ear.

Our parents ongoing divorce wasn't public news yet.

"Is Mom with you?" Akira's hopeful eyes got to Dad and he laid an arm on his son's shoulders.

"Sorry, just me. Asuka wasn't feeling well enough to come."

"Typical." I crossed my arms, not even bothered.

"Hold on now. Your Mom really is sick." Dad rounded on me with a funny mixture of testiness and awkwardness. "She did want to visit both of you, but she couldn't make it out of bed."

"More like to visit Akira." I mumbled petulantly. "Could care less about me."

The woman hadn't called or texted me since we moved into the attic and the first message hadn't been loving or even remotely nice. But of course she'd been in contact with her favorite boy.

I hadn't been brave enough to confirm with Akira that the person he periodically talked to with such a wide smile was Mom. I didn't need confirmation of her blatant favoritism.

"Whatever you're thinking it's not true and you know it." Dad ruffled my hair, squashing my thoughts without realizing it. "Let's stop being so gloomy. Wanna go somewhere, kiddos?"

Akira jumped on the opportunity. "Go where?"

"I'm kinda hungry and it's a nice day…how about a picnic in the park? Like old times?"

"I don't mind. Sis?"

"Sure, sure." I grumbled to the eager males.

"Done deal." Dad gulped down the rest of his coffee and pulled out his wallet.

"Don't worry about it. It's on the house." Sojiro took the empty cup.

"What? You sure?"

"I offered didn't I? Get out of here so I can reopen my shop."

"You heard the man, lets skedaddle." Dad flashed the barista a final grin and grabbed us by the shoulders, pushing towards the door.

"Wait, I need to put my stuff up." Akira hefted up his dirty gym bag and took mine.

"Right, right."

He hastened up the stairs, leaving me with Dad, who ushered me out the door and to his car.

We stood together in silence until Dad tried striking up a meaningless conversation and I stubbornly answered as minimally as I could. He was too used to my surly moods to be detoured and talked about some of his new projects when my replies became one word answers.

Akira finally returned with his shoulder bag and the inane conversing stopped.

"Off we go, kiddos."

The drive to park became annoying with Dad's persisting good mood and chatter. The boys left me to my moody silence after I snapped one too many times from pointless questions.

Who did Dad think he was, acting all chummy when he abandoned us?!

I would not forgive him for his passiveness. I wouldn't!

"Is there a reason Homura's in such a foul mood? Your father seems nice."

I blinked uncomprehendingly at the cat poking its head out of Akira's bag. "Morgana? I thought you were staying home today?"

"I am feeling sluggish, but I wanted to meet the father of such rare twins." He meowed in an unimpressed manner. "Kazuki Kurusu is so average though. Hard to believe Jester and Joker are spawned from him."

"What were you expecting?" Akira's eyebrows rose curiously.

"Someone with a bit more…flare, I guess? Homura's dramatics have to come from somewhere and she did say he did magic shows."

"No one can match my flare. You were bound to be disappointed on that matter." I bragged, sitting on the ledge and relishing the nice breeze.

Inokashira Park was a lovely sight with all the different shades of green forestry and the sparkling lake. The spot we'd chosen to wait for Dad at gave us privacy to admire the nature in its basic form.

"This place is relaxing enough for a nap." Morgana gave an approximation of a yawn.

"Don't you mean 'catnap'?" I corrected teasingly.

"No! I'm a human so it's a 'nap'." He hissed back.

"You've been sleeping all day. Too much napping can be a bad thing." Akira swatted Morgana's tail from his face and held back a sneeze.

"For someone untrained sure, but not me. I'm an expert when it comes to sleeping." The cat's ears dropped. "You have to be when resting in the Metaverse."

Akira and I tensed uncomfortably. Sleeping in such a bizarre place was unfathomable and not to mention dangerous.

Morgana was trapped in Kamoshida's dungeon for who knows how long. How many nights had he fallen asleep and wondered if he'd ever escape the place?

"I got sandwiches!" Dad yelled, waving his bounty in the air.

Morgana squeaked and hid in Akira's bag.

"Finally, I'm starving." My stomach roared on cue with my brother's.

Dad laughed.

"I've missed that sound. The fridge always seems too full without its usual thieves sneaking food all the time." He handed us each a bag of mini-sandwiches, chips, and soda. "Is Sojiro feeding you two his special curry?"

"He is." Akira and I said with differing amounts of enthusiasm.

He considered it a generosity to be fed the delicacy of Leblanc on a daily basis. Frankly, I was tired of eating it.

My own poison cooking was looking more appetizing by the day.

"That curry is something else…" Dad chewed languidly.

"How do you know Sojiro? He's way older than you."

Akira choked on his food from my blunt interrogation. The recipient chuckled and ruffled my hair.

"We're actually close in age, kiddo. Even went to school together. We were mutual friends through another and we didn't become better acquainted until later when I got married." A wistful smile spread across his face. "The school playboy came asking me for tips when he met this woman that wouldn't give him the time of day. Soji was madly in love with Wa-"

Dad stopped laughing.

His face became worried and the hair ruffling frantic. "Don't repeat anything I said, alright? He gets really defensive about his old-flame."

"Cut it out, I get it!" I wrestled him off before he could burn my hair off with all the friction he was causing. "Look at my hair!"

I bemoaned the messy reflection I saw.

"Oops! Sorry, Homu." He caught himself from reaching back for my hair. "It really doesn't look that bad. She still looks cute as ever, right son?"

My brother bit his lip, looking everywhere but me.

I jabbed him in the side. "I'm ugly because of you, jerk-face!"

"How?! For being the responsible one?" Akira countered with a pull on my cheek.

"No one asked you too!"

"I don't need to be asked to take care of you!"

His bag got knocked off with all the tussling. Morgana shrieked after hitting the ground.

"Was that a cat?" Dad scratched his head.

Akira and I quit fighting to quickly deny Morgana's meow.

"I know I heard one." He bent down to inspect the bag and I snatched it up.

"You're imagining things." I stressed.

Sojiro didn't mind us having a pet, but Mom was against animals living in the house. Dad was sure to tell her if he found out and then I'd be subjected to a lengthy lecture about how immature and irresponsible I was for hiding and sheltering a cat under someone else's roof.

Dad frowned. "I'm very lenient with you, Homura, but that was rude. Let me see the bag."

I looked to Akira for help.

"I've got some of her stuff in there and she doesn't want you to see." He supplied, not outright lying.

"No need to be embarrassed, I've never had a problem acknowledging your girl problems. Between you and Asuka, I've made dozens of trips for tampons." Dad responded, gripping the bag and tugging.

"Dad! Don't talk about that." I flushed from the breach in privacy and tugged back.

My monthly problems didn't need to be aired to Akira and Morgana so casually.

Wait…did Morgana even know what a period was?

"Okay, now I'm very suspicious." He tugged harder in response to my continued resistance. "Hand over the bag or I'm cutting off your allowance."

Moment of crisis.

We needed that monthly stipend now more than ever with our trips to the Metaverse eating away at our wallets. Without it, I'd have to get a job and I really didn't want to.

School was enough of a bother, a job would diminish what little free-time I had.

Decision made, I handed over the bag. Akira sucked in a breath and waited for the angry exclamation.

"I knew it, there was a cat in here!" Dad pulled Morgana out and stared in to his big, blue eyes.

"Dad, I'm-" Akira started to apologize, but it went unsaid in light of the boisterous laughter coming from the man. "Why…why is he laughing?"

"It's…happy laughter…maybe we aren't in trouble." I whispered timidly.

"I'm glad it WAS a cat. For a second I thought you two might be hoarding drugs." He cradled the nervous cat and scratched behind its ears.

I instantly got ticked off at the conjecture and would've sharply rebutted if my brother hadn't pinched me warningly.

"You're not mad?" He ventured into uncharted territory.

"Asuka's the one that doesn't like pets and I'm guessing Sojiro doesn't mind since you came downstairs with it. I don't have an issue with the little guy." Dad gave the bag back to Akira and kept playing with Morgana by rubbing his tummy next. "Just surprised you two are entering this phase now. Don't toddlers usually bring home strays?"

"He was hurt and I couldn't leave him."

Another half-truth. Morgana had been half-dead when Akira and Ryuji stumbled on him.

"I gotcha, kiddo. What's his name?"

"Morgana."

Dad blinked, confused by the English-sounding name.

He tilted his head at me questioningly. "Did you come up with that? Sounds like a character from one of your plays."

"Maybe I did. What of it?"

He gave me one of those patient smiles that preceded him dropping a dose of reality onto my whimsical mind. "Homu, you do know he's a boy right?"

"I know that." I grouched.

I didn't actually name the weird cartoon cat and some of us had already pointed out the femininity of the name to its owner.

"Okay, kiddo." Dad nodded, knowing he wouldn't get anywhere when my absurdities were too established. "Take care of Morgana then. Pets are life companions."

Our feline friend murderously glared at us as he was returned to Akira and hissed. "Not a word of what just happened. I was pretending, got it?"

Pretending to enjoy being scratched and tickled like a cat? I doubted that.

"He sure is vocal." Dad commented and then jumped as his phone went off. He checked the screen. "I gotta take this, kids. Clean up for me, would you?"

My brother obediently got to it, tossing the trash into a nearby bin. I slouched back onto the railing.

"That could have gone south. Glad it didn't."

"I can't believe you were willing to turn me over for cash. Such a cut-throat decision for a lady." Morgana complained despondently.

I blandly explained my reasoning. "That money pays for your sushi requests and veterinary visits, which Dr. Takemi isn't really qualified for, but she's the only doctor that won't ask questions or report us for repeatedly bringing in a wounded cat that we swear up and down that we didn't abuse for fun."

He choked and hung his head. "I-I didn't think of that. My apologies for complaining, Lady Homura."

"Don't feel bad, Morgana. Homura was harsher than necessary. We don't mind taking care of you." Akira soothed the depressed cat and sent one of his I'm-disappointed-looks my way. "Don't be mean just because you're in a bad mood.

What was this, Reprimand Homura Day?

"I have a right to be upset, don't try talking me out of my anger." I huffed, moodily watching the other functionally families and couples rowing boats on the lake. "He just pops in like nothing's wrong. Like he sent us to camp or something…I don't like it!"

"That's what's bothering you?" Morgana jumped onto the railing and situated himself next to me in a show of comfort. Asking him to cuddle me would be too much on his part. "You all have such messy home-lives. I think Ryuji might have the most normal life out you all and that's just sad."

"At least he's trying. That's something to be happy about, isn't it?" Akira pointed out in Dad's defense. "He and Mom could've ignored us for our probation, but they haven't. That's more than anyone else from home has done for us."

Saying all that made us sound more pathetic.

Why did we have to be satisfied with scraps of affection? Didn't we deserve more from our parents?

"Do you always have to be right? Can't you be a normal, dumb teenager like everybody else?"

"Are you including yourself in that?"

"Might as well compared to you." I muttered derogatorily.

Why couldn't he vent with me instead of trying to be a wise comforter?

I was his twin so I knew he had to be angry on some level. Why continue with the perfect masquerade in front of me?

"Hey kids, I gotta take you back. Asuka's cold is getting worse." Dad reappeared, bearing an apologetic smile.

"It it really just a cold? Mom's never been so sick that she can't get out of bed." Akira worriedly glanced at the phone still ringing from Dad's pocket.

"I told you not to worry, kiddo. I've got it handled."

Dad drove us back to Leblanc and handed off some extra money as he rushed off. Seeing him go brought back my ill humor full-force.

Sojiro laughing at my sulky expression didn't help.

"You're quite the Daddy's Girl. Wasn't expecting that, but it explains a lot." The old man teased.

"What do you know, Sojiro? You don't have kids." I said brusquely and he flinched as if I'd hit him.

"My sister didn't mean to be so snappish. Please excuse her behavior." Akira pulled me upstairs before a reprimand could be dished out. "What is with you?! Stop lashing out at people. Me and Dad are one thing because we know you, but Sojiro doesn't. You could get into serious trouble."

"I'd hardly call that lashing out. Did you see how uncomfortable he got?" I deflected, having had enough of lectures for the day. "Do you think he's got some love-child hidden away?"

He gaped at my change in temperament. "Whiplash. You give me whiplash with your mood changes."

"And you bore me with your nonexistent ones. We even each other out."

"You're so mean. What did I do to deserve such cruel sister?"

"Who knows?" I grinned impishly. "Maybe you angered a god in another life."

"Pfttt, as if, Homes."

* * *

**Take your time**

* * *

"Um, Homura…you've been giggling nonstop since we got off the train. Is everything okay? You're kinda weirding me out." Ann's face struggled to decide between a smile or grimace.

Her odd state of fluctuation furthered my giggles.

"Wellll, I was giggling in anticipation, but now it's because of your face, Ann."

She rolled her eyes. "Geez, why are you so excited to go to this gun shop? Ryuji and Akira could've done this boring job. Why did you volunteer us? You didn't care before."

"Don't be like that. I had a change of heart after meeting the owner. He's a catch." I snickered from my word choice.

I'd wanted to spend the day with Goro, but he was busy working and had hardly responded to any of my messages. I had to settle for ogling Iwai.

"No way…" Ann froze.

I took a few steps back to her spot.

"Something wrong?"

"No way, no way!" She griped my shoulders in a vice-grip and shook me excitedly. "You have a crush and you're showing them to me?!"

"Not if you knock my brain out of my skull!"

People side-eyed us with annoyance for the racket.

"Why do you have to be so loud?" I grumbled, holding my head and waiting for the world to stop spinning. "Why are you this excited? Iwai isn't even my main selection."

"What do you mean 'why'? I'm happy because you're opening up to me." Ann's radiant smile turned down momentarily. "And you're just as loud as me with those random monologues you burst into." The smile returned with a more devious edge to it. "And what do you mean he's not your main selection? You've got more than one crush? That's so greedy."

I blushed unintentionally from how happy my companion was acting. I didn't realize she'd get so jubilant over a simple thing as displaying my taste in men.

"I'm not being greedy. It's perfectly normal for girls to shop around. Guys do it on a daily basis, why shouldn't we?"

"I'm teasing, Homura." Ann poked my shoulder and raised her fist. "Now I'm pumped to hit up this shop. Show me your dreamboat!"

I matched her enthusiasm with an airy huff. "Iwai isn't a dreamboat, he's more like…the scary, but hot, older-guy type."

"Ooooh, so you like bad boys? Not surprising since you're devilish."

I hummed pensively. "Maybe? I'm not sure if I have a type besides handsome."

Would Goro count as a bad boy?

His background fit the profile and he could have an explosive temper in certain situations. It felt wrong to label him as a bad boy though when he meticulously tried to be a poster child for good behavior in response to people's reactions to his past.

"It sounds like you've got simple taste. He doesn't have to be funny, smart, or nice? Just handsome?"

"Pretty much. All the rest tends to fall in place." I shrugged, not really needing to think about it since my mind and heart had been obsessively focused one individual most my life. "What about you? Is Ryuji your type?"

"You go straight for that?" Ann groaned. "For the thousandth time, Ms. Matchmaker, Ryuji and I are just friends and NOTHING more!"

"Denial is the first stage of loveeeeee."

"Nope, that's grief. And all Ryuji does is cause me grief. Like, why can't he clean up his appearance? He always looks so disheveled and gross!" She growled, tugging on pigtails in frustration. "And he's always eating! Gah, it gets on my nerves that his stomach is a pit and he doesn't gain weight!"

I sniggered. "Admit it. You loveeee him."

"Stop emphasizing love. I TOLERATE him."

I mouthed the word and drew a heart in the air.

"I'll draw on your face with lipstick if you don't stop."

"That's a waste of makeup and you use expensive stuff. What would your beau say?" She raised the golden tube threateningly. "Okay, okay. Holster your weapon and prepare to be amazed."

I gestured to Untouchable.

"This place seems sketchy, it's right in the middle of a deserted alley."Ann was unimpressed with the hole-in-the-wall.

"I can't argue with that, but sometimes rare things are found in unsavory places."

She beamed at me. "You sounded really cool just now. Is that from a play or something?"

"I made it up on the spot. Improv is kinda my thing."

We stepped inside the store and were greeted with the languid man holed up behind the counter.

"If it isn't Twin Two. You here to pawn more weird stuff?" Iwai lowered his newspaper in acknowledgment, but didn't get up from his seat.

"Yes, sir." I smile cutely, placing my bag on the counter and carefully retrieving the items we pilfered from the castle.

He twitched at the odd arrangement in front of him and leveled me with an extreme glare of are-you-serious. The question of where we were getting the items burned in his eyes, but never left his lips.

My smile only got cuter as he grew more dubious.

"Um, will you take the stuff…or not?" Ann tepidly twirled the ends of her pigtail.

Iwai sniffed and rolled his lollipop to the other end of his teeth. "Yeah, alright."

He scooped up the treasure and put it all in a bin, grumbling out their worth. Ann squeaked at the amount and went straight to browsing for a new model gun.

I now had space to badger the gun maniac.

"Did you prepare that special menu for us? I'd like a replacement if possible." I held up my damaged pistol.

Using my gun as a shield for attacks probably wasn't smart. Sometimes I couldn't defend in time with sword and sacrifices had to be made.

"What have you been doing with that? Using it to club someone?" Iwai took the gun and clicked his tongue when the dents didn't prove to be tricks of light.

"Pretty much. My admirers just can't control themselves when I'm around."

Shadows did appear to attack me more than the others, Ann being a close follow- up as a target. Maybe it was just Kamoshida's perverted tendencies influencing the Shadows to go after females.

"Slugging stalkers is supposed to be your brother's job, not my models." The gun maniac scowled reproachfully. "And you call yourself a gun enthusiast? This is downright shameful."'

I pouted at the dressing-down. "I didn't mean to wreck it, honest. I value your work, Mr. Iwai."

His frown lasted for a good minute before he issued out a long-suffering sigh. A tray landed between us.

"He's the special menu. Stop it with the kicked-dog face and pick something."

I immediately perked up. "Ann, come look at these."

"I'll put this mutilated pistol in the back. Looks like you and your brother have your first assignment."

"Roger that, boss." I mock saluted him as he disappeared into the back room.

Ann bumped into my shoulder playfully, lowering her voice to a whisper. "He looks rough, but he totally caved for you."

"I know, I know. It's refreshing after dealing with so many irritating males." I stifled a giggle.

Almost all the males in my life were getting on my nerves, Dad with his absence, Akira with his perfect nature, Sojiro with his curtness, and Goro with his silence. Ryuji was the only one not being a nuisance and that was because he'd been busy trying to find a part-time job to help out his mom and hadn't been around.

"He's a little too old though…" Ann chewed her lip. "So older, tough guys are your type?"

"We're back to this? I don't-"

Our whispering came to an end as Iwai returned, lazily taking in our hunched posture. "I don't like the look of you two. Better not be thinking of anything sneaky."

His eyes glinted dangerously.

"I couldn't steal from you, I'd probably die in the process." I joked.

Only, I wasn't really kidding.

Iwai looked like he could take just about anyone down in a fight. He knew that and that was why he was so comfortable leaving his shop unattended with customers.

If someone did steal from him, the gun maniac would hunt them down and deliver swift punishment.

"Smart girl." He smirked.

Ann let out the breath she'd held in. "So intense."

"Can I have this one?" I pointed to a shiny new pistol and nudged my spooked friend.

"A-And these." She recovered her wits, picking out new weapons for the others.

We paid for the items.

"I really should be concerned about you kids stocking up on all this." Iwai bagged our purchases and pointed his half-finished lollipop at me. "Don't spill my name if you get caught with any of this, got it?"

"My lips are sealed." I promised, miming the process of zipping my lips.

"And tell that squeaky brother of yours to be here next weekend to help you fix that destroyed model."

"Does Akira have to be here? I can fix it on my own." I didn't want to bother him with my problem and more importantly, I wanted alone-time with Iwai.

I wouldn't get a better opportunity at opening him up to me.

"Two heads are better than one and he should learn the process too."

"Fine." I sighed.

Blocked by my brother again and the guy wasn't even present.

Ann and I waved goodbye to the owner and returned to the busy streets of Shibuya. She stored the models in her large purse and smirked at me.

"Intimidating, but hot. I can definitely see the appeal."

"He's good competition for my prince." I swooned theatrically. "Ah, the heart. What a fickle mistress it is!"

She laughed. "This is nice. Shiho's shy about boys so I've never joked around with someone like this."

"Same, kinda. Akira's the reluctant spectator to my fancies and he's such a killjoy about it." I ended my game to assuage my concern of the recently released Suzui. "How is she?"

I'd found out from a teary confession from Ann that her friend had finally been lifted from Suicide Watch, but was now required to consult a therapist every week.

"Pretty bad…but she'll get through it. I'll make sure of it." Ann's heavy depression lifted fairly quickly after she gasped and leaned towards me.

"Here we go…" I murmured, waiting for her big revelation.

"The three of us should have a sleepover!"

"…A sleepover?" I repeated idiotically like it was a foreign concept.

She pressed on, brushing off my stupor. "It's a great way for my best friend to connect with my new friend. And she could use the company, the other girls from the volleyball team still don't know how to approach her after everything."

"I've…" My words got drowned out by Ann's excited planning.

Embarrassment flooded me the more she talked about how close the three of us would become.

No one had invited to a sleepover before. It used to bother me when I was younger and the girls in class bragged about all the fun things they did at each other's houses.

Other females had been treating me like I was beneath them from as early on as elementary school.

The closet I came to attending a slumber party was the odd time Goro's foster parents let him spend the night at our house.

Three kids tucked into a pillow fort playing board games and reading stories had been my limited experience with sleepovers.

How was I to behave around two teenage girls, especially one I'd never directly spoken to?

"Earth to Homura, you in there?" Ann impatiently fluttered her hand in my face.

"S-Sorry."

"So, do you wanna come over?"

"Y-Yeah, okay." I accepted in spite of my anxiety over the millions of ways I could ruin the night.

"You don't sound sure…" She deflated, guilt overtaking her features. "Is this about my previous unfriendliness? I'm really sorry about that. I just expected you all to be trouble and I didn't need that. But I want to make up for all that!"

I stopped her before she could go on a full rant. "I agreed because I wanted to. My nervousness had nothing to do with you."

"Okay, explain."

I took a deep breath and braced myself for the coming outburst. "I was nervous to say yes, because this is my first sleepover."

Five seconds passed and cue the shriek from my exuberant companion. "I'm sorta shocked, but I'm starting to realize you're a loner and these bombshells are going to keep coming. I should stop freaking out so much, huh?"

"Me, a loner? Where in the world are you getting that perspective?" I rubbed my abused ear. "I'm perfectly sociable."

"Ummmm..." She drew out the syllable til I demanded an explanation. "You're talkative with certain people, like your brother is a good example. Even though you guys bicker there's a feeling of affection to it. Or you're teasing each other or worse, tag-team teasing somebody else. Really, you two just seem to be having fun. It makes me jealous."

"Arguing with him is not fun. Somehow he's always right." My face scrunched up. One of these days I would get the upper hand. "And I talk to you and Ryuji all the time at school. I'm talking to you right now, how does that make me a loner?"

"You're making an effort, I'll give you that, but I've approached you most of the time. Our conversations at school aren't anything of substance." Ann adjusted her bag and smiled at my pout. "I can't tell you how psyched I was when you messaged me today. Even if it was for PT business, it was still a start."

"You're making me sound so standoffish…I thought I was doing better…" I sighed, aggravated with myself.

Reflecting on her words I came to the conclusion that the red panther was right.

At school I didn't actively engage Ryuji and Ann unless I needed something or Akira was present with them.

Since Ryuji and I shared a homeroom I spoke with him the most after my brother. Those discussions mostly consisted of him begging for my notes to copy or help on his forgotten homework.

The frequency in which the delinquent didn't understand something was high and in an effort to not sound ignorant, I'd been doing my homework and keeping up with the lessons. Clarifying the lessons in simpler terms for Ryuji had enhanced my own skills and my studies reflected that.

Akira was stumped, but pleased with the sudden bump in my grades.

My brother had beamed proudly and kissed the top of my head after he saw the fat "A" on the test papers I shoved in his face to prove I wasn't lying.

Ryuji's pestering for help had unexpected benefits.

Ann was harder to approach with how different our schedules were. She and I managed to huddle together in the courtyard to complain or gossip for lunch.

To my great displeasure, Izumo Goto and her obnoxious twits would now and then disrupt our meal to torment me. Ann's presence made their barbs twice as acidic. Goto loved running her mouth about the school sluts.

Ann managed to pretend the girls didn't exist since cattiness wasn't anything new to her. I, on the other hand threw back insults with twice as much vitriol since keeping my mouth shut wasn't a function I was familiar with.

If things didn't change with Goto, the girl was going to be on the receiving end of some nasty pranks.

Akira remained unaware of the bullying at my insistence.

Ann and Ryuji didn't understand my reasoning, but they backed off after I snapped at them for butting in. Akira's help would amount to nothing, he wasn't the type to defend my honor by beating someone to a pulp like Ryuji would in the heat of the moment. No, my brother was the type to sit the offender down and talk things out.

I didn't want a mediator.

"Hey, turn that frown upside down." Ann shook me right out of my funk. "We've still got a day to kill. What should we do next?"

"I dunno…Iwai was my main objective. I'm fine with you taking the reins now."

We had lots of options since it was the weekend and we had no code reds like homework or Palace grinding.

"We could go to the mall? Try on some clothes?" The blonde model wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Find an outfit for you that would make Iwai drop his lollipop."

I gasped and covered my mouth in mock outrage. "Ann, you dog!"

She snickered. "I'm totally kidding."

"No, you're not. You're a closet pervert. The red spandex says it all."

It was Ann's turn to gasp and an angry blush appeared. "Shut up! I had no control over that! And I'm not a pervert!"

"Yes, you are. No need to get mad, join the club." I held my hand for a high-five, wiggling my eyebrows as she had. "You know you want to, kitten."

"Ugh, stop!" Ann groaned and turned her back me, feigning that I was stranger harassing her. People gave us funny looks.

I stopped teasing her after she threatened to ditch me.

We stood in front of the bookstore, debating our next plan until a nuisance greeted us.

"Hi, Yuuki! It's great to see you without all the bandages."

Mishima laughed weakly and scratched his cheek. "I pretty much looked like a zombie with them, huh?"

Ann recognized the discomfort she'd caused. "That came out wrong. I'm just happy to see you looking healthy and not miserable."

The dour expression left the blunette's face as he perked up.

"That's okay. I'm not bothered…that's all behind me now." He addressed me hesitantly. "H-Hello, Kurusu."

I crossed my arms and scathingly echoed back. "Mishima."

The boy recoiled at the intensity of my glare.

Every time he approached me in school to apologize I coldly sent him off without a second glance.

Akira may have told me to let it go, but he wasn't the boss of me. What my saint brother didn't realize was that once a snake, always a snake.

"What're you up to, Yuuki?" Ann tried to save the deteriorating conversation with her forced cheer.

"I-I was on my way to the bookstore." Mishima fidgeted in my presence, but tried to smile for the blonde speaking to him.

"Let me guess, comic books?"

"Yeah, but not for me."

"Oh, for your 'brother'?" Ann exaggerated the "brother" portion.

The blunette blushed, muttering something too low for either of us to hear.

"Sorry, could you repeat that?"

"T-The comics are for Shiho." Mishima spewed out in a mortified manner.

"Since when does Shiho read comics?" Ann skeptically raised her eyebrows.

"I brought her some of my old copies when she was in the hospital and I guess she got hooked. I ran out of things to loan her so here I am." He shoved his hands in his pockets and valiantly met Ann's defensive gaze.

She didn't comment further on the new piece of information.

"I wanted to do something nice for her after everything she went through. I'll never forgive myself for doing nothing, Shiho deserved better from me."

"I'm glad somebody else is looking out for her. She really needs it." Ann relented with her scrutiny.

"I-I'm happy to help her and if you need anything let me know, Ann. You've been hurt by all this too."

She inhaled sharply at the offer. "Thanks. You're an okay guy, Yuuki."

I rolled my eyes. Mishima wasn't an "okay guy".

He leaked my record. No amount of apologizing would make me forgive him.

"I'll see you two later." The blunette waved and entered the bookstore.

Ann groaned, staring at me conflictingly. "I know he messed up, but Kamoshida made him hurt you. I've seen him apologize to you. Can't you be a little nicer?"

"Is his apology supposed to fix everything? In one stroke he's ruined the next year for me." I sneered, unmoved by her point. "Akira may not care that people constantly whisper about us, send us dirty looks, and spy on us for the slightest infringement, but I do. The only silver lining to this arrangement was that we were going to get a fresh start. That's gone now."

She let the matter drop and suggested we go to the mall. I let her drag me underground to her favorite shopping spot.

* * *

**Take your time**

* * *

"You're a natural at this." Airi, the manager of the floral store gushed over the potted plant I presented.

I puffed up at the praise. Floral arrangement was one of the skills I picked up from Mom.

Airi hired me on the spot after I stopped by to inquire about job openings. She'd remembered me from my visit with Ann and didn't require much convincing to give me a chance.

Today was my first day on the job.

"Would you like to complete the rest of the orders? I'll man the front in the meanwhile." She set the bouquet of camellias and daisies on the shelf with the other orders waiting for pickup.

"All by myself?" I smiled at the open show of trust.

"Yes, you have an eye for beauty. My supervision isn't necessary." The manager returned my smile and handed me a list to follow.

"I won't disappoint you, Ms. Airi."

"If you need help or get confused come get me."

She left me to work.

I scanned the list for the first item on the agenda. A "get well soon" bouquet was first up. Upon further inspection, most the requests were gifts for hospital visits.

A sigh escaped me.

All the train accidents were uprooting people's lives, and of course, all the other tragic things that could happen in a day.

Sometimes it felt like humanity was bent on destroying itself. Why was it so difficult for us to go one day without doing something crappy?

I finished the first order and moved on to the next, getting lost in the art of Ikebana.

Kamoshida had been convicted and imprisoned.

Our group was ecstatic about the crook getting his just-deserts. Plans had been made for us all to celebrate tomorrow. I'd been looking forward to the party all week after the emotional rollercoaster my body put me through with Dad's abrupt visit, arguing with Akira, and dealing with an absent detective.

Ann had talked up the spot she chose, but refused to actually explain about the establishment or disclose its location, citing that it all was a grand surprise. If I didn't know how picky and upscale her taste was, I'd be worried.

The many shopping trips we shared assured me that the rich girl wouldn't pick somewhere dodgy. The downside to this was all the extra cash from pawning Kamoshida's medal would most likely be spent in one day.

The blonde model wasn't frugal with money. Just recalling how much she spent without batting an eye gave me stomach cramps.

Dad provided a comfortable lifestyle for us with his construction business, but in light of Ann's inherited wealth and the added funds from her career, I felt substantially poor.

"Homura, would you like to take a break?" Airi's warm voice broke through my work frenzy.

"A break? I just started working."

"Dear, you've been working for five hours straight. Even finished all my orders for the day." She gestured to all the arrangements crowding the shelf and then pointed at the clock to prove her claim.

My jaw dropped as I noticed the time and indeed five hours had passed since I arrived this morning.

The weariness in my limbs registered and I stared uncomprehendingly at my dirt-covered hands. The bandages had come off yesterday in preparation for today, but I hadn't actually looked at the results. My hands weren't smooth anymore and my nails were chipped.

Mom would flip if she could see me.

"You're so diligent. You hardly noticed anything else going on in the shop. I had a lot of my regulars asking about my cute new hire. They're so used to my grumpy delivery boy."

"Really? How did I get so engrossed in flower arranging?"

To think I'd missed out on free praise! Hopefully it was elderly customers and not cute boys. I didn't want potential fans to think I was dismissive.

Homura Kurusu would never turn her back on an adoring fan!

"Don't be dismayed. Getting wrapped up in your work is a good thing, it shows you care." Airi smiled, thinking I was upset. "I had a good feeling about you. I'm glad I listened."

I blushed, happy with all the lauding.

Finally. Someone appreciated the wonder that was me.

"Now, I insist you take an hour break." She pushed me into the back office to clean up and when I finished, shooed me out the store faster than I thought possible for a woman of her slight size.

I looked around the underground mall, at a loss how to kill an hour. My stomach's growling decided for me and I purchased a simple sandwich and smoothie on the upper floor.

The train station was too noisy and crowded so I ventured outside and ate my lunch on a bench, mindlessly watching people with each bite of my meal.

Akira was working today too.

Unlike me, he took miscellaneous shifts at different establishments when Sojiro didn't need us at Leblanc. Today he was working at _Beef Bowl_.

With how hectic the place could get it wouldn't be wise for me to pop in for a visit.

Who else could I bother for the remainder of my break?

In a fit of boldness, I pulled out my phone and called the one person I hadn't seen or heard from in days. After three rings he picked up.

" _Hello, Akechi speaking."_

"Goro!" I whined, mustering all my vexation with his ghosting into his name.

" _Homura, there's no need to yell into the speaker."_ I could imagine the exasperated face he was sporting, but it would shift into a fond sort of exasperation as it typically did when Goro was around me.

"Hmph, there is when I'm upset with you."

I heard him shuffling some things around on his side and his voice became muffled. _"I apologize for neglecting our chats, but I really have been busy at the station."_

"The whole Kamoshida scandal is affecting even you? Are you that big a deal at work?"

" _I'm not supposed to discuss this with you."_ Goro continued at the sound of my indignant groan. _"Yes, it is. When a public educator willingly admits to such heinous crimes a thorough investigation is conducted. I've been so involved that my other cases are suffering."_

Exhaustion and stress poured from the other line and I felt bad for guilt-tripping him.

"Oh, my poor, overworked baby. Do you need me to give you back rub? Give you a re-energizing kiss?" I cooed.

" _Don't say things like that!"_ He whispered heatedly.

"Why not? Are you flustered, Go-Bear?"

Goro sputtered from the unveiling his ridiculous childhood name Akira and I had bestowed upon him.

The brunette's hair had been messier and thicker during childhood and the color reminiscent of a teddy bear sitting in my room. Not to mention the boy was so immensely happy whenever we played with him that I got it in my childish head that he was the embodiment of a teddy bear.

Sharing my thoughts with Akira led to him coming up with the nickname.

Needless to say, any mention of Go-Bear completely embarrassed the no longer innocent Goro Akechi.

"S _top teasing me, Homura."_ He regained some semblance of composure.

"Or what?" I challenged, knowing there wouldn't be any consequences.

" _Or…I'll tease you back."_

I laughed at the immature response that didn't sound right coming from the guy so uptight about maturity. "Pah! You can't fluster me. I'm made of thicker skin."

" _I beg to differ. You're confident when you're the initiator but when on the receiving end you get as nervous as anyone."_

"You're mistaken, Detective Prince."

" _We'll see abou-"_ A loud voice in the background cut him off.

" _Who are you talking to so animatedly, Akechi?"_

Another voice entered the fray.

" _Can only be a girlfriend with how much he's blushing!"_

Soon my ear was assaulted with people loudly asking millions of questions about Goro's secret girlfriend.

I covered my mouth, squealing inward over his coworkers' assumptions. the detective denied everything, but the males laughed and continued their badgering.

The noise eventually died down and the only sounds left were my giggles and Goro's puffs of air. He must've run from the office.

" _Look at the trouble you cause me. I had to flee my desk."_ The detective muttered. _"The minute I go back all that nonsense will start again."_

"I am not sorry. That was the best laugh I've had in forever." I wiped some tears away. "You needed some fun too, admit it, Go-Bear."

" _That name again?!"_ His voice got so deep that it gave me pleasant chills. _"This is your last warning, Homura Kurusu."_

"I'd love to listen to more of your empty threats, but I've got to get back to work." I really would have liked to hear more of that unpredictable tone from Goro.

Maybe…I did have a thing for bad boys.

Ann was onto something...

" _Work? When did you get a job?"_ He sounded completely shocked which brought back some of my disgruntlement.

"I got a job at the underground flower shop in Shibuya. You'd know this if you read my texts."

" _I'm sorry, Homura."_

I stayed silent, back to milking the guilt-trip angle. Since Goro couldn't see me he took my unresponsiveness as a sign of anger and issued out another apology.

"I forgive you since you were busy. Ignore me again and I won't be so forgiving, Go-Bear."

" _Homura!"_ His interjection was the last thing I heard before ending the call.

Sprits lifted, I skipped back to the store and resumed my shift. With only two hours left, Airi set me to work as an advertiser since we were ahead of schedule on orders and there weren't any customers in the store.

I amazed passerby with my flowery speech and theatrical movements. A few couples were drawn in by me and convinced to buy flowers for their dates.

The manager took my methods in stride, joking that she might need to make me the store's mascot. I posed, accepting that possibility on the condition that my uniform be a staple of cuteness so as to maximize my already radiant figure.

"H-Homura, you are too much! I wish my other employees were so colorful." Airi's face went red from the force of her laughter.

She looked much younger like that and I wondered how someone as pretty and youthful as her ran a shop alone.

Shouldn't Airi be living less responsibly? A lot of younger adults back home spent their days partying.

"Oh, hello." The manager shifted to face a customer behind me. "Were you interested in purchasing flowers?"

"Yes, but I'm not sure what to pick."

I whipped around at the familiar tenor, getting hit in the face by my braid in the process. "Goro?!"

He smiled charmingly. "Good afternoon, Homura."

"You two know each other?" Airi asked.

"We're old friends."

Her eyes sparkled as she looked between us. I could tell where her mind had wandered for my own mind wandered that direction often.

Maidens like us often had romance in the back of minds.

"Come inside and I'll help you select something."

Airi and Goro kept their voices down, rendering my snooping pointless.

Who was he buying flowers for?

His foster mom was my first guess, but she and her husband didn't live in the area…unless he was planning on visiting them?

He'd better not have an actual secret girlfriend!

"Why don't you head home, dear." Airi offered once near.

"But I still have thirty minutes left."

"I'll count today as eight hours, consider it a reward for a good first day."

"Thank you very much for the opportunity and the kind offer." I bowed appreciatively, finding that I did enjoy working for Airi. Unlike Sojiro, she wasn't a rude, snippy boss and she let me handle things on my own.

"You're welcome. Go change and spend time with your boyfriend." She shooed me away once more with strength that shouldn't belong to a dainty woman like her.

Ah, someone else made the same assumption.

Clearly, I was being given divine missives that I should act on.

I removed the apron and throughly cleaned my hands, moving on to check my dress for dirt. My hair still looked presentable in the braid Akira did for me. Finding no issues with my appearance I rushed out the store, waving to a grinning Airi and latching onto Goro.

"What're you doing here? Weren't you busy?" My elation at seeing him in person couldn't be contained.

"Getting you back like I promised I would."

I tilted my head inquisitively at his sneaky smile.

"Oho? This should be good." I crossed my arms haughtily. "Give it your best shot, Detective Prince."

"As you command, Princess." Goro's term of endearment combined with his flirtatious tone caught me off guard and already a blush was fighting its way onto my cheeks.

Him offering me a bundle of gardenias destroyed the last of my resistance.

"T-These are for m-me?" I gingerly accepted the gift, keeping my eyes on the white petals instead of the handsome boy basking in his triumph.

"Is the lady pleased?"

"Y-Yes…" I used the flowers to hide the lower half of my red face and dared to look at Goro.

The victorious smirk morphed to tenderness. "Joking aside, I hope this makes up for my behavior. I finally read all of your messages. This week's been tough for you, hasn't it?"

I didn't want to get into all the things I spilled in those messages, I wanted to bask in this surreal moment a bit longer.

"Did you pick these?"

The sweet scent drafted through my nostrils.

"No, your manager did. She said gardenias would express my sentiments."

"What sentiments?"

"How much I cherish out time together. And were it in my power, I'd devote most of it to you." Goro frowned in concern. "That is the appropriate flower, yes? I'm not versed in floriography as you are…I can buy something else if you'd like?"

I shook my head rapidly. "I love these!"

His sentiment made me happy, even though it was spoken with friendship in mind. Goro had said something similar to me on different occasions when I'd complain about the distance separating him from Akira and I.

Unfortunately, he didn't see me any differently than he had when were children.

"I'm glad you like them."

I giggled and looped my free arm through his, leading us upstairs to Shibuya.

"What do gardenias signify?" He quizzed me once we were at the secluded bench I'd taken my break at.

"Hmm, do you really want to know?" I teased as I played with the white petals.

"I would, actually. Next time I buy you flowers I won't go in blind."

My heart fluttered at the idea receiving more flowery gifts.

"If you must know, darling…" I paused in suspense and looked him dead in the eye.

Payback was coming.

"Gardenias are a symbol of secret love and are used to convey how lovely a woman is. Typically, males give them a woman they have a long history with."

Airi, the schemer, chose well.

Cue the brunette blushing and flailing about.

"You could've told me how madly in love you are with me, Go-Bear." I smiled demurely and held the flowers close to my face, blushing like a sweet maiden. "If you're that serious we can run off into the sunset. Right now."

"L-Lower your voice! People are staring." Goro waved his hands, trying to quiet me without resorting to covering my mouth.

A few people were staring, mainly envious girls.

"You can't wait that long?!" I gasped, disregarding his pleas. "Oh, what am I to do in the face of such passion?!"

"Homura!" His face was the same shade as his burgundy eyes.

"Goro!" I cried back, opening my arms like I expected him to pick me up and carry me off into the sunset.

He gave up on quieting me and switched to snatching my hand and running from the onlookers cooing at us.

The detective lamented his misfortune and wondered out loud if public humiliation would become the norm with me. He leaned tiredly against a building.

Coincidently, he brought us to the street across from _Beef Bowl_. Had he unintentionally brought me to my brother for a trade-off?

Was I too much to handle?

"Expect to be humiliated the next time you try to upstage me. I am the queen of theatrics, remember that, plebeian." I boasted.

Goro exhaled deeply and glared at me. "Then this is to be the start of a competition. I'm going to get you back for this."

"I meet your pitiful competitiveness with glee. As I said, I'm the master." I puffed myself up.

Grey met red in a determined stare down.

"I'll be generous and say that we stand at a stalemate right now." I fluffed my hair and posed heroically, channeling my inner Gloriana.

Queen Elizabeth Tudor knew no equal as the Golden Queen of England, and I would know no equal in the art of overcoming my foes.

"Haha, you will kneel in defeat, this I know."

The brunette established some distance between us and chuckled. "Goodness. You sound like a villain."

"What?! I'm emulating a hero!" I laughed boisterously to defend my declaration.

"You sound the furthest from heroic. Playing the villain is too ingrained in you, I'm afraid."

"Whatever."

Akira and Goro couldn't take me seriously when I pretended to be a villain during our games and now I couldn't be taken seriously as a hero. I just couldn't win with these guys.

"Weren't you swamped at work? How were you able to come see me?"

"When I returned to my desk most of the cases had been taken. My coworkers told me to be my age and fool around with my girlfriend while she still liked me." Goro was too engrossed looking off into space to notice me cackling. "They've never been so generous before…in fact, they enjoy dumping tedious desk-work onto me. What caused the change, I wonder?"

"Hehe. All it took was for you to get a girlfriend for a little special treatment at work."

"You think so?" He frowned. "It was all very odd…"

No, what was odd was how unused to kindness Goro was.

Those coworkers of his should do more for him. He deserved it after so many years of neglect and mistreatment.

Gah! Scratch teddy bear, my detective prince was a sad puppy caught repeatedly in the rain.

"H-Homura?! What're you doing?!" Goro pushed against me, making me strengthen my hold on his waist and bury my face in his chest. "Are you already starting the competition?"

"Forget that for a second. I'm hugging you because I want to."

He tittered uncontrollably and tried to hide it by acting like nothing happened. I lifted my head enough to look upon him, but kept my mouth pressed to his shirt.

"Does this make you ticklish?"

"No." Goro lied with no issue. I hummed, forcing him to bit his lip to continue the deception. "This is highly inappropriate. You must let go."

"I don't want to."

A struggle ensued with the detective losing since he kept physical contact to a minimum.

A tangled mess was how Akira found us.

"Why are you harassing, Goro?" My brother deadpanned, too tired from work to put up with me.

"Why are you instantly making me the bad guy?!" I harped back, out of breath.

Once Goro got serious the struggle moved in his favor, but my resistance was a worthy match. From our current stance, the dectective had a death grip on my shoulders and I was hunched lower on his stomach, clinging to the area.

We both were ruffled and panting.

Miraculously, my flowers had been spared as he made sure not to knock them out of my side-bag.

To a stranger it looked like the brunette was trying to force me lower for something improper. It was a miracle the police hadn't approached us yet.

"He's the one manhandling me. Defend your sister!" I pointed derisively at the boy straightening himself up.

The jerk was way stronger than he looked. Either I was weak or everyone else was freakishly strong.

I was betting on the latter.

"I know he's too polite to do anything. You are another matter entirely." Akira bopped my nose in quick succession. "I've told you to behave like a lady. Stop harassing poor, Goro."

I bit his finger before it could hit my nose again.

"Are you kidding me?!" He yelped and yanked his finger out my mouth.

"Gross, you taste like beef bowls."

"Gross?! I should be saying that!"

"Now this…" Goro sighed as Akira and I descended into an argument. "Good grief…what am I inviting into my life with these two?"

Chaos is what he courted by interacting with the Kurusu twins, but he loved us to death anyway.

 


End file.
